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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. tube — a container
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bore — to drill
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. net — in sport
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — in music
  11. net — after costs
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. tube — the underground
  17. key — for a lock
  18. bore — to tire
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. branch — a division
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. net — for catching
  24. tube — in a tire

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