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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. mug — a face
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bore — to drill
  7. hand — help
  8. stand — to bear
  9. tube — a container
  10. mug — a cup
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. hand — in cards
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. bore — to tire
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. deal — to handle
  23. tube — the underground
  24. hand — part of the body

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