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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. land — to come down
  3. fork — in a road
  4. bore — to drill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. kick — in football
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. land — ground
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. land — a country
  23. bore — to tire
  24. arm — part of the body

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