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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bark — to shout
  9. mate — a friend
  10. key — for a lock
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. key — in music
  13. cue — for pool
  14. content — happy
  15. bore — to tire
  16. cue — a signal
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cue — a hint
  19. key — the most important part
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. mate — to breed
  24. content — the amount

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