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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bore — to drill
  3. tube — a container
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bound — tied together
  7. pitch — completely
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. chest — of your body
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. chest — a box
  13. tube — the underground
  14. kick — in football
  15. bound — certain
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. mug — a face
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bound — obliged
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bore — to tire
  23. mug — to rob
  24. hide — animal skin

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