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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 116 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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. pitch — completely
  3. last — final
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. bore — to drill
  6. last — finally
  7. game — a match
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. dip — to sink
  11. mug — to rob
  12. game — wild animals
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. last — to go on
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. mug — a cup
  23. kick — in football
  24. mug — a face

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