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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 116 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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. drill — the tool
  4. charge — a price
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. charge — in control
  7. lean — to bend
  8. bore — to drill
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. drill — army training
  13. drill — a practice
  14. charge — electricity
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. lean — thin
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — a container
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. season — of the year
  22. season — in sport
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. season — to add flavour

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