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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. pit — a hole
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — the fruit
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. pit — in a race
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bark — to shout
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. nail — for a hammer

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