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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — in football
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — to drill
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. charge — in control
  10. rest — a break
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. kid — to tease
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. kid — child
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. charge — electricity
  21. charge — a price
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  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