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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. track — a song
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. face — part of the head
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bore — to tire
  9. mate — a friend
  10. track — to keep track
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. kick — in football
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. track — a path
  18. mate — to breed
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. face — to point toward
  21. mate — a partner
  22. face — to confront
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bore — to drill

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