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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. spring — of water
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — a cup
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bore — to tire
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. snap — to click
  15. spring — the season
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bore — to drill
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. spring — a coil
  23. kick — in football
  24. racket — for tennis

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