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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 116 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. drill — army training
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. drill — a practice
  11. board — a committee
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. bound — certain
  14. saw — the tool
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bound — tied together
  17. drill — the tool
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. fork — in a road
  20. board — to get on
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bore — to drill
  24. calf — a young animal

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