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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  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. hand — help
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. object — to protest
  8. hand — in cards
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bore — to tire
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — a thing
  14. date — the fruit
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. plane — a tool
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. tube — the underground
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. date — on the calendar
  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