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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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. content — the amount
  4. content — happy
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. band — a music group
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. band — a ring
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bore — to drill
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. craft — a skill
  15. shower — to wash
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. bore — to tire
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. craft — boats
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. shower — rain

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