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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bore — to tire
  4. present — a gift
  5. rule — government
  6. tube — a container
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bore — to drill
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. present — there
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pass — a permit
  21. kick — in football
  22. rule — a law
  23. present — the time now
  24. tube — the underground

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