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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kick · bowl · bore · kid · land · ruler

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. bore — to tire
  6. land — ground
  7. land — to come down
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. kick — in football
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bore — to drill
  15. kid — child
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kid — to tease
  18. land — a country

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