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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. net — in sport
  3. face — part of the head
  4. net — for catching
  5. march — the month
  6. race — a contest
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. bore — to tire
  11. race — the arms race
  12. face — to confront
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. race — humankind
  16. kid — child
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. march — the month
  19. kid — to tease
  20. march — music
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. face — to point toward
  23. net — after costs
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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