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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. march — the month
  4. chest — of your body
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. march — music
  7. bore — to tire
  8. cap — of ice
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. fork — in a road
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. cap — a lid
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. cap — a hat
  17. chest — of your body
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. march — the month
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. chest — a box
  24. leaves — of a tree

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