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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. race — a contest
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bulb — for light
  16. kick — in football
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. wind — moving air
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. fine — high quality
  23. wind — moving air
  24. race — humankind

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