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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — an aim
  3. drill — army training
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. staff — a stick
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. march — music
  11. staff — employees
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. object — a thing
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — a practice
  16. staff — employees
  17. bore — to tire
  18. foot — a measure
  19. can — a tin
  20. bore — to drill
  21. march — the month
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. march — the month
  24. foot — the bottom

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