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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 120 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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bore — to drill
  8. pound — a weight
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. mate — to breed
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rash — a series
  16. shower — to wash
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. mate — a friend
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. shower — rain
  22. bore — to tire
  23. rash — hasty
  24. march — the month

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