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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. game — a match
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. row — to paddle
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. squash — the sport
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. squash — to crush
  12. season — in sport
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. row — a line
  15. bore — to tire
  16. season — of the year
  17. bore — to drill
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. snap — to click
  22. game — wild animals
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. bear — the animal

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