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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. ball — a great time
  5. pass — a permit
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bulb — for light
  13. rest — a break
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bore — to drill
  20. kick — in football
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. rest — what's left
  24. pass — to succeed

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