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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. hand — in cards
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. bore — to tire
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mug — to rob
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. hand — help
  11. bore — to drill
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. fork — in a road
  14. prune — to trim
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. board — to get on
  17. board — a committee
  18. prune — to trim
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. mug — a face
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bore — gave birth

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