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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. fall — to drop
  3. present — the time now
  4. bore — to tire
  5. current — happening now
  6. kick — in football
  7. current — electric
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bore — to drill
  10. fall — the season
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — for digging
  13. can — to be able to
  14. present — a gift
  15. spell — magic
  16. current — of water
  17. spell — letters
  18. present — there
  19. can — a tin
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. fall — to drop
  23. can — a tin
  24. mine — an explosive

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