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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. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. drill — army training
  6. object — a thing
  7. last — finally
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. bore — to drill
  10. cold — an illness
  11. object — an aim
  12. cap — of ice
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. object — to protest
  15. cold — not warm
  16. last — to go on
  17. bore — to tire
  18. drill — a practice
  19. net — after costs
  20. cap — a lid
  21. last — final
  22. drill — the tool
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bore — gave birth

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