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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. court — of a king
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. content — happy
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. court — for sport
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bore — to tire
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. court — of law
  21. chair — a leader
  22. content — the amount
  23. pound — a weight
  24. safe — out of danger

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