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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 116 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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cold — an illness
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — to tire
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. club — a group
  10. club — for golf
  11. object — to protest
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. root — of a word
  16. object — a thing
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. root — the cause
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. root — of a plant
  22. club — for dancing
  23. cold — not warm
  24. object — an aim

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