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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bulb — for light
  7. sharp — clever
  8. tear — to rip
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. tear — from crying
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bore — to drill
  14. tear — from crying
  15. season — in sport
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. season — of the year
  19. bulb — for light
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. calf — of the 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