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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  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. bore — to tire
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. roll — a cake
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. court — for sport
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. court — of law
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. roll — a list
  17. fine — all right
  18. fine — high quality
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. saw — the tool
  21. court — of a king
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. bore — gave birth
  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