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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bore — to drill
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. land — ground
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. march — the month
  9. land — to come down
  10. bore — to tire
  11. suit — in cards
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. clip — a video
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. land — a country
  18. clip — to cut
  19. kick — in football
  20. suit — clothes
  21. march — the month
  22. clip — for paper
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. march — music

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