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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. court — for sport
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bore — to drill
  5. sharp — clever
  6. track — to keep track
  7. rash — a series
  8. cue — a signal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. track — a song
  12. cue — a hint
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. court — of a king
  16. cue — for pool
  17. bore — to tire
  18. court — of law
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. track — a path
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. sharp — exactly

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