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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 120 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  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. safe — out of danger
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bore — to tire
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. row — to paddle
  8. squash — the sport
  9. spell — magic
  10. squash — to crush
  11. spell — letters
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. spell — a short time
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. kick — in football
  16. row — a line
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — to shout
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. squash — the vegetable
  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