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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. row — a line
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. rule — a law
  6. present — the time now
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bore — to tire
  9. season — in sport
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. kid — child
  12. rule — government
  13. present — a gift
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. bore — to drill
  16. row — to paddle
  17. present — there
  18. kid — to tease
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. season — of the year
  24. ruler — for measuring

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