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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 116 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: squash · kick · shower · drill · bear · face · bat · bore

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  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. drill — a practice
  2. bore — to tire
  3. face — to point toward
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. kick — in football
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. bat — the animal
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. squash — the sport
  11. shower — rain
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bear — the animal
  15. shower — to wash
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. drill — the tool
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. face — to confront
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. drill — army training
  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