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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. root — of a plant
  6. march — music
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bore — to drill
  9. march — the month
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. march — the month
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. rush — hurry
  17. ball — a great time
  18. suit — clothes
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. root — of a word
  21. root — the cause
  22. bore — to tire
  23. suit — in cards
  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