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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bore — to drill
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bore — to tire
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. ball — a great time
  14. row — to paddle
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. cell — in biology
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. ball — a dance
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. cell — a phone
  24. bowl — to roll

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