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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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468
Word bank
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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. face — to point toward
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. drill — the tool
  7. kick — in football
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. bore — to drill
  10. face — to confront
  11. pit — in a race
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. pit — a hole
  14. saw — the tool
  15. face — part of the head
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bore — to tire
  19. drill — a practice
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. drill — army training
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. bore — gave birth

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