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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mug — to rob
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. content — happy
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. race — a contest
  9. bore — to tire
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fine — high quality
  13. race — the arms race
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. race — humankind
  16. content — the amount
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mug — a cup
  20. fine — all right
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. mug — a face
  24. shower — to wash

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