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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  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 — a young animal
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mine — for digging
  9. shower — rain
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. shower — to wash
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. kick — in football
  20. hand — in cards
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. kick — with a leg
  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