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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. roll — a cake
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. roll — a list
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. bore — to tire
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. hand — in cards
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. hand — help
  22. toast — bread
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to drill

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