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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. kick — in football
  4. mate — a partner
  5. bore — to drill
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. can — a tin
  9. current — of water
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. can — a tin
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — crushed
  14. current — happening now
  15. bore — to tire
  16. row — a line
  17. row — to paddle
  18. ground — the earth
  19. foot — a measure
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. current — electric
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a friend
  24. foot — part of the body

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