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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.

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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: stick · kick · kid · shower · file · safe · bore · drill

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. file — a line of people
  7. kid — child
  8. file — a document
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. shower — rain
  11. file — a tool
  12. bore — to drill
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. kid — to tease
  15. kick — in football
  16. drill — the tool
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. drill — army training
  21. shower — to wash
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bore — to tire
  24. safe — a strongbox

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