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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  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. kid — child
  2. wax — to grow
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. staff — employees
  6. drill — army training
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. drill — a practice
  9. bore — to tire
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. drill — the tool
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. kid — to tease
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. staff — a stick
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. staff — employees
  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