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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 116 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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bore — to drill
  3. kick — in football
  4. squash — the sport
  5. mug — to rob
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. mug — a cup
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. board — to get on
  13. craft — boats
  14. board — a committee
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. degree — from a university
  17. craft — a skill
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. degree — an amount
  20. mug — a face
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. degree — temperature
  23. bore — to tire
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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