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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pit — a hole
  5. drill — the tool
  6. drill — army training
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. drill — a practice
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. track — a path
  14. band — a ring
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. track — a song
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — to tire
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. lean — thin
  21. band — a music group
  22. pit — in a race
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — to bend

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