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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. object — an aim
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bore — to drill
  9. hand — in cards
  10. kick — in football
  11. capital — a city
  12. object — a thing
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. snap — to click
  17. object — to protest
  18. date — the fruit
  19. capital — money
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. hand — help
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. kick — a thrill

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