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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 120 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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. chest — a box
  4. file — a document
  5. mark — a grade
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. file — a line of people
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — a lid
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. cap — of ice
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. chest — of your body
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. chest — of your body
  18. file — a tool
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bore — to tire
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bore — to drill
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. rush — hurry

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