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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 120 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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. field — farmland
  4. squash — to crush
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. squash — the sport
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. field — for sport
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. can — to be able to
  13. field — a subject
  14. kick — in football
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. bore — to drill
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. scale — size or range
  19. can — a tin
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to tire
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. can — a tin
  24. scale — in music

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