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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. foot — a measure
  9. branch — a division
  10. shower — rain
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — help
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bore — to tire
  21. shower — to wash
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. bore — to drill

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