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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rock — music
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bass — the fish
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bore — to tire
  12. staff — employees
  13. rock — a stone
  14. tube — a container
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bass — low music
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. staff — employees
  24. straw — dry grass

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