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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to drill
  4. swing — music
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. swing — to play on
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. root — of a plant
  9. degree — an amount
  10. chest — a box
  11. degree — temperature
  12. degree — from a university
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. bore — to tire
  15. chest — of your body
  16. net — for catching
  17. swing — in golf
  18. kick — in football
  19. net — after costs
  20. net — in sport
  21. root — the cause
  22. root — of a word
  23. chest — of your body
  24. kick — a thrill

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