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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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468
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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. kick — in football
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. mine — for digging
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bore — to drill
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — a short time
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — a measure
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. spell — magic

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