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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bore — to drill
  7. swing — in golf
  8. scale — size or range
  9. swing — music
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. hand — help
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. hand — in cards
  20. scale — in music
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. kick — in football
  24. plane — a tool

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