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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  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 — to tire
  2. row — to paddle
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. club — for golf
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. club — for dancing
  7. rash — hasty
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. club — a group
  16. deal — to handle
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rash — a series
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. row — a line
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. calf — a young animal
  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