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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.

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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: drill · saw · fine · bore · bear · kick · firm · race

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. fine — all right
  9. race — a contest
  10. bear — the animal
  11. drill — a practice
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — the tool
  14. fine — high quality
  15. drill — army training
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. race — the arms race
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — to drill
  20. firm — decided
  21. kick — in football
  22. race — humankind
  23. firm — steady
  24. drill — the tool

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