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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 124 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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. kick — in football
  3. rash — a series
  4. bore — to tire
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bore — to drill
  7. suit — to fit
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. land — a country
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. suit — clothes
  12. cue — a signal
  13. row — to paddle
  14. cue — for pool
  15. rash — hasty
  16. mark — a grade
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. land — ground
  19. row — a line
  20. suit — in cards
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. land — to come down
  24. mark — a trace

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