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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. race — humankind
  3. mate — a partner
  4. race — the arms race
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. bore — to drill
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. mate — to breed
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. wind — moving air
  13. field — farmland
  14. tube — a container
  15. bore — to tire
  16. wind — moving air
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. tube — the underground
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. mate — a friend
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — for sport
  23. race — a contest
  24. wind — to turn a key

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