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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 116 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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. net — in sport
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bore — to drill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. net — after costs
  13. capital — a city
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. bore — to tire
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. rush — hurry
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. net — for catching
  21. capital — money
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — in football
  24. bore — gave birth

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