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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mine — for digging
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bore — to tire
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. degree — from a university
  9. sharp — clever
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bore — to drill
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. degree — an amount
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. degree — temperature
  24. stand — for spectators

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