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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. spell — magic
  3. lie — to recline
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. row — a line
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bore — to drill
  10. row — to paddle
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bore — to tire
  13. rule — a law
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. spell — letters
  18. deal — to handle
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rule — government
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. spell — a short time
  24. kick — in football

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