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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. object — an aim
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. court — of law
  7. spring — the season
  8. court — of a king
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. track — a path
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. track — a song
  13. court — for sport
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rock — music
  16. spring — of water
  17. bore — to tire
  18. track — to keep track
  19. rock — a stone
  20. object — a thing
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — hurry
  23. spring — a coil
  24. calf — of the leg

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