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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 116 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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. wound — an injury
  3. drill — the tool
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. staff — a stick
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bore — to tire
  14. wound — an injury
  15. shower — rain
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. tube — the underground
  20. drill — army training
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. shower — to wash
  23. tube — a container
  24. straw — dry grass

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