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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. tube — the underground
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — in football
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bore — to tire
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. tube — a container
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bore — to drill
  18. fork — in a road
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. lie — to recline

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