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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 120 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. march — the month
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. march — the month
  7. bore — to drill
  8. branch — a division
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. bore — to tire
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. object — an aim
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — for pool
  16. object — a thing
  17. cue — a signal
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. march — music
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. rush — hurry
  24. object — to protest

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