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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 120 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bore — to drill
  4. tube — the underground
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. club — for dancing
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. wound — an injury
  9. foot — a measure
  10. tube — a container
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bore — to tire
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. race — humankind
  17. club — a group
  18. chair — a leader
  19. race — a contest
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. club — for golf
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. race — the arms race

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