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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. cue — a signal
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. kid — to tease
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bore — to drill
  11. perch — the fish
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. pit — a hole
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. cue — for pool
  17. kick — in football
  18. cue — a hint
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bat — the animal
  24. kid — child

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