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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 116 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. bore — to tire
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bear — the animal
  11. row — to paddle
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bear — the animal
  14. staff — a stick
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. row — a line
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bore — to drill
  24. pitch — completely

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