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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. can — to be able to
  4. rush — hurry
  5. can — a tin
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. race — the arms race
  8. pitch — completely
  9. race — humankind
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. charge — in control
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bore — to drill
  15. can — a tin
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. charge — electricity
  18. kick — in football
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. charge — a price
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. wake — a trail

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