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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bore — to tire
  10. present — there
  11. hand — in cards
  12. present — a gift
  13. hand — help
  14. bore — to drill
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. present — the time now
  18. wave — a sudden rise

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