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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. kick — in football
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. key — in music
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bark — to shout
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. staff — employees
  9. wake — a trail
  10. face — to confront
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. key — for a lock
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. chip — to eat
  19. face — part of the head
  20. face — to point toward
  21. chip — for betting
  22. key — the most important part
  23. staff — employees
  24. bark — of a tree

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