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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 120 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. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. court — of a king
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cold — not warm
  5. bore — to drill
  6. cold — an illness
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bore — to tire
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. court — for sport
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. court — of law
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. rush — to hurry

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