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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. last — finally
  5. rock — music
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. kick — in football
  12. rash — hasty
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bore — to tire
  16. rock — a stone
  17. last — final
  18. rash — a series
  19. bore — to drill
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. lean — thin
  23. last — to go on
  24. lean — to bend

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