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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bore — to drill
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. row — to paddle
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bore — to tire
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. row — a line
  16. clip — for paper
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. clip — to cut
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. stem — to come from
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. clip — a video
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. plane — a tool

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