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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pound — a weight
  4. spell — letters
  5. bank — for money
  6. spell — a short time
  7. saw — the tool
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bank — for money
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. cap — of ice
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. spell — magic
  15. bore — to drill
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to tire
  20. bank — of a river
  21. cap — a lid
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. cap — a hat
  24. kick — in football

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