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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. ball — a great time
  4. bore — to drill
  5. kick — in football
  6. ball — a dance
  7. tear — from crying
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. wind — moving air
  12. wind — moving air
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mark — a grade
  15. tear — from crying
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. tear — to rip
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. bore — to tire
  24. calf — of the leg

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