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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. drill — the tool
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. pop — soda
  7. pop — to visit
  8. deal — to handle
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — an aim
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. drill — a practice
  14. pop — music
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. drill — army training
  20. fall — to drop
  21. object — a thing
  22. bore — to tire
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bore — to drill

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