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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. game — a match
  4. can — to be able to
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bound — tied together
  9. cue — a hint
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. pass — a permit
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. cue — a signal
  15. can — a tin
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. kick — in football
  20. bound — certain
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. cue — for pool
  23. game — wild animals
  24. dip — to sink

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