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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 ________________ took off on time.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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. plane — an aircraft
  4. rock — music
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. plane — a tool
  8. shower — rain
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. bore — to drill
  12. shower — to wash
  13. rock — a stone
  14. kick — in football
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. capital — money
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. capital — a city
  24. kick — with a leg

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