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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to drill
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fall — to drop
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. cue — for pool
  8. net — in sport
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. net — after costs
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — hurry
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. cue — a signal
  16. cue — a hint
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pass — a permit
  19. net — for catching
  20. rest — a break
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. bore — to tire
  23. fall — the season
  24. rest — what's left

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