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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — the earth
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. drill — a practice
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. dip — to sink
  14. bore — to tire
  15. ground — crushed
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. drill — army training
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bore — to drill
  23. drill — the tool
  24. calf — a young animal

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