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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. wound — an injury
  4. face — to point toward
  5. cue — a signal
  6. game — wild animals
  7. wound — an injury
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. bore — to drill
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. tube — a container
  13. cue — for pool
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. tube — the underground
  16. cue — a hint
  17. game — a match
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. calf — a young animal

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