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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. ball — a dance
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bore — to tire
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. ball — a great time
  10. deal — to handle
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a ring
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. sharp — clever
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bore — to drill
  20. roll — a list
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. roll — a cake
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bore — gave birth

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