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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. drill — a practice
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bore — to tire
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. drill — army training
  10. lean — thin
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bulb — for light
  13. drill — the tool
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. content — the amount
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bulb — for light
  23. content — happy
  24. calf — of the leg

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