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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bore — to drill
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. hand — in cards
  12. lean — to bend
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bore — to tire
  16. hand — help
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bulb — for light
  20. kick — in football
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — boats
  23. lean — thin
  24. nail — on a finger

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