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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. field — a subject
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bore — to drill
  10. ball — a great time
  11. field — for sport
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bore — to tire
  14. rest — a break
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. saw — the tool
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rush — hurry
  21. field — farmland
  22. saw — the tool
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. ball — a dance

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