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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bore — to drill
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. spell — letters
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. rule — a law
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. net — after costs
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. net — in sport
  15. rule — government
  16. rush — hurry
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — a short time
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. net — for catching
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bowl — a football final

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