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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  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. bore — to drill
  2. spell — letters
  3. staff — employees
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rock — music
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bore — to tire
  8. pop — soda
  9. spell — a short time
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. staff — a stick
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. land — to come down
  15. spell — magic
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. pop — music
  18. land — a country
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. staff — employees
  22. rush — hurry
  23. land — ground
  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