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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. track — to keep track
  3. fine — high quality
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. kick — in football
  6. track — a path
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. spring — of water
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. rush — hurry
  12. fine — all right
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bore — to tire
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. content — the amount
  18. track — a song
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. content — happy
  21. bore — to drill
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — a coil

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