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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. band — a ring
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. drill — a practice
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. stem — to come from
  19. drill — army training
  20. drill — the tool
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. band — a music group
  24. bore — to drill

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