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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. chip — for betting
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. spring — of water
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bore — to drill
  15. last — finally
  16. last — final
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. last — to go on
  21. spring — a coil
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. spring — the season

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