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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.

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: mouse · bore · kick · fan · leaves · present · arm · drill

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bore — to drill
  6. present — a gift
  7. drill — the tool
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. drill — army training
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. kick — in football
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. present — the time now
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. drill — a practice
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bore — to tire
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. present — there

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