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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. press — to push
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. drill — the tool
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. wound — an injury
  10. kick — in football
  11. chip — to eat
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — to drill
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. drill — a practice
  19. chip — for betting
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. press — newspapers
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. drill — army training
  24. press — a publisher

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