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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 116 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 polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bore — to drill
  5. last — finally
  6. last — final
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. staff — employees
  13. deal — to handle
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bore — to tire
  16. plane — a tool
  17. last — to go on
  18. kick — in football
  19. staff — employees
  20. cap — a hat
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. cap — a lid
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. coach — a trainer

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