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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. deal — to handle
  3. last — final
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — in football
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. can — to be able to
  9. bore — to drill
  10. current — of water
  11. bore — to tire
  12. can — a tin
  13. stand — to bear
  14. last — finally
  15. current — happening now
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. can — a tin
  22. current — electric
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. fan — a supporter

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