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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. last — finally
  7. bore — to drill
  8. last — final
  9. last — to go on
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. spell — a short time
  12. rest — a break
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bore — to tire
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. spell — magic
  17. kick — in football
  18. content — happy
  19. rest — what's left
  20. spell — letters
  21. content — the amount
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rest — what's left

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