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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. rule — government
  3. rule — a law
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. object — to protest
  6. kick — in football
  7. tear — to rip
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. ground — crushed
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. tear — from crying
  14. ground — a position
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bore — to drill
  18. object — a thing
  19. cap — a lid
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. tear — from crying
  23. object — an aim
  24. cap — of ice

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