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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. tube — a container
  4. cue — a signal
  5. rest — a break
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. scale — in music
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rest — what's left
  10. scale — size or range
  11. tube — the underground
  12. race — the arms race
  13. bore — to tire
  14. saw — the tool
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. race — humankind
  17. saw — the tool
  18. cue — for pool
  19. rest — what's left
  20. cue — a hint
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. bore — to drill
  24. race — a contest

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