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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. track — a path
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. chip — to eat
  6. track — to keep track
  7. bore — to drill
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. can — to be able to
  10. track — a song
  11. content — the amount
  12. chip — for betting
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. wound — an injury
  19. content — happy
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. wound — an injury
  22. toast — bread
  23. bore — to tire
  24. toast — the most admired

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