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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. ball — a dance
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wound — an injury
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. mate — a friend
  11. saw — the tool
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. saw — the tool
  14. ball — a great time
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. mate — a partner
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. perch — the fish
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. wound — an injury

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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