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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. land — a country
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. mark — a trace
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. cue — a signal
  10. track — a path
  11. land — to come down
  12. track — a song
  13. land — ground
  14. mark — a grade
  15. deal — to handle
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. track — to keep track
  18. bore — to drill
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — in football
  21. cue — for pool
  22. bore — to tire
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. cue — a hint

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