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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 124 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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. net — in sport
  3. kid — to tease
  4. kick — in football
  5. net — after costs
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bore — to tire
  9. kid — child
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. cue — a hint
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. bore — to drill
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. cue — a signal
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. cue — for pool
  21. toast — bread
  22. net — for catching
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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