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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bore — to tire
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. court — of law
  9. board — to get on
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. court — for sport
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — from crying
  14. court — of a king
  15. board — a committee
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to drill
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. lash — to lash out

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