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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bore — to drill
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. drill — army training
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. drill — a practice
  8. drill — the tool
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. board — a committee
  13. tear — to rip
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. rash — a series
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. deal — to handle
  19. rash — hasty
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bore — to tire
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — from crying
  24. rash — on the skin

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