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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bore — to drill
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. degree — an amount
  7. tube — a container
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — clever
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. drill — army training
  12. degree — temperature
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. degree — from a university
  17. tube — the underground
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. drill — the tool
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to tire
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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