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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bore — to drill
  3. stock — goods
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. track — a song
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — shares
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. sharp — clever
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — in cards
  21. track — a path
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bore — to tire
  24. calf — of the leg

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