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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mug — to rob
  3. ball — a great time
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bore — to drill
  7. mug — a face
  8. rule — a law
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. mug — a cup
  12. foot — a measure
  13. net — after costs
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bore — to tire
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. net — for catching
  19. wind — moving air
  20. net — in sport
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. wind — moving air

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