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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. cue — for pool
  3. kick — in football
  4. chest — of your body
  5. game — a match
  6. cue — a signal
  7. bore — to drill
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — wild animals
  10. mark — a trace
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. mark — a grade
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. roll — a list
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. chest — a box
  17. chest — of your body
  18. cue — a hint
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. roll — a cake
  23. bore — to tire
  24. lash — a whip stroke

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com