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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — to drill
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. foot — a measure
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. chip — for betting
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. chip — to eat

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