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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bound — tied together
  9. kick — in football
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bore — to drill
  15. cold — not warm
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bound — certain
  18. rest — a break
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bore — to tire
  23. cold — an illness
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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