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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 116 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — for sport
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. mug — to rob
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — electric
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. mug — a cup
  18. kick — in football
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bore — to drill
  23. current — of water
  24. mug — a face

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