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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. mate — to breed
  3. swing — in golf
  4. clip — for paper
  5. swing — to play on
  6. bank — for money
  7. tube — the underground
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. tube — a container
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bore — to tire
  12. clip — a video
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. swing — music
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. season — of the year
  17. season — in sport
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bank — for money
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bank — of a river
  24. clip — to cut

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