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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. spring — the season
  4. bore — to drill
  5. key — in music
  6. cue — for pool
  7. fine — high quality
  8. spring — of water
  9. fine — all right
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. key — for a lock
  15. bore — to tire
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. cue — a signal
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. kick — in football
  21. cue — a hint
  22. key — the most important part
  23. spring — a coil
  24. bore — gave birth

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