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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. rock — a stone
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. rock — music
  11. bore — to drill
  12. rule — a law
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bore — to tire
  17. wound — an injury
  18. ball — a dance
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mark — a trace
  23. rule — government
  24. rule — to rule out

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