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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 120 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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bore — to drill
  3. spell — a short time
  4. cue — a signal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — letters
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. kick — in football
  12. lean — thin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. lean — to bend
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. cue — a hint
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. cue — for pool
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bore — to tire
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. mine — for digging

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