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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. drill — the tool
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. staff — a stick
  7. bore — to tire
  8. drill — army training
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. ball — a dance
  12. staff — employees
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bore — to drill
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. ball — a great time
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. stem — to come from

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