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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. staff — employees
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. bound — obliged
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. stock — shares
  10. bore — to tire
  11. staff — a stick
  12. drill — army training
  13. bound — tied together
  14. stock — goods
  15. deal — to handle
  16. staff — employees
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. bound — certain
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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