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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: march · lean · bore · kick · safe · degree · firm · land

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to tire
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. lean — thin
  7. land — a country
  8. march — the month
  9. firm — decided
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. degree — an amount
  12. march — music
  13. firm — steady
  14. firm — a company
  15. kick — in football
  16. march — the month
  17. land — to come down
  18. degree — from a university
  19. bore — to drill
  20. degree — temperature
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — to bend
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. safe — out of danger

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