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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. craft — a skill
  3. deal — to handle
  4. kick — in football
  5. bore — to drill
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. land — a country
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. craft — boats
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. game — a match
  15. game — wild animals
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. land — to come down
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. land — ground
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bore — to tire

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