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

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. bass — the fish
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bore — to tire
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. tear — to rip
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bass — low music
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. toast — bread
  18. toast — a drink to someone

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