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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mate — a partner
  5. spell — magic
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. mark — a grade
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mate — a friend
  20. kick — in football
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bore — to tire
  23. spell — letters
  24. bore — to drill

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