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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bulb — for light
  3. mate — a friend
  4. bore — to drill
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. mate — to breed
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. foot — a measure
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bulb — for light
  13. row — to paddle
  14. kick — in football
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hand — in cards
  17. mate — a partner
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. date — the fruit
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. hand — help
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. row — a line

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