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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. mate — to breed
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. mate — a partner
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mate — a friend
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bore — to drill
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. squash — the sport
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. squash — to crush
  23. bore — to tire
  24. calf — a young animal

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