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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. firm — decided
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. spring — of water
  6. firm — steady
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. spring — the season
  9. bore — to drill
  10. object — a thing
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. firm — a company
  15. kick — in football
  16. cell — a phone
  17. cell — in biology
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. spring — a coil
  20. object — to protest
  21. deal — to handle
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. object — an aim

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