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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bore — to drill
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bore — to tire
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — hurry
  10. suit — in cards
  11. wind — moving air
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. saw — the tool
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. suit — clothes
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. suit — to fit
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bore — gave birth

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