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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. tube — the underground
  4. cap — a hat
  5. rest — a break
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bore — to drill
  10. cap — a lid
  11. rest — what's left
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. tube — a container
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pass — a permit
  18. cap — of ice
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. kick — in football
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. rest — what's left
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. bore — gave birth

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