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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.

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: kick · arm · bore · chest · spell · drill · object · net

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. kick — in football
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. spell — a short time
  5. chest — of your body
  6. chest — a box
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. drill — army training
  9. net — for catching
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. object — a thing
  12. object — to protest
  13. spell — letters
  14. object — an aim
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. net — after costs
  18. drill — the tool
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bore — to tire
  21. net — in sport
  22. drill — a practice
  23. bore — to drill
  24. kick — a thrill

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