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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bound — obliged
  3. present — a gift
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bound — tied together
  7. sharp — clever
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bore — to tire
  14. land — a country
  15. pit — a hole
  16. land — to come down
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. wax — to grow
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bound — certain
  22. present — there
  23. present — the time now
  24. land — ground

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