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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  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. foot — a measure
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bore — to tire
  11. pit — a hole
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bore — to drill
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pit — in a race
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pound — a weight
  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