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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. roll — a cake
  3. bore — to drill
  4. tube — a container
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. fork — in a road
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. rule — government
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. roll — a list
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. tube — the underground
  19. rule — a law
  20. fine — all right
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. fine — high quality
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rule — to rule out

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