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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. club — for golf
  7. bore — to drill
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. row — to paddle
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — a line
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. mine — for digging
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. vault — a safe
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to tire

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