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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. march — the month
  3. kick — in football
  4. hand — help
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. bore — to drill
  7. drill — a practice
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. march — the month
  15. rest — a break
  16. perch — the fish
  17. march — music
  18. bore — to tire
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. drill — the tool
  22. hand — in cards
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. drill — army training

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