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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. bore — to tire
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mark — a grade
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. chest — a box
  7. root — of a plant
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. root — the cause
  10. mark — a trace
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. chest — of your body
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — hurry
  17. saw — the tool
  18. root — of a word
  19. bore — to drill
  20. scale — size or range
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. chest — of your body
  24. saw — the tool

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