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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. ground — crushed
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bore — to drill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. ground — a position
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. vault — a safe
  14. ground — the earth
  15. fork — in a road
  16. kick — in football
  17. kid — to tease
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. stand — to bear
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. bore — to tire
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. kid — child

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