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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. fork — in a road
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bore — to tire
  9. court — of a king
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. court — for sport
  13. tube — a container
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. court — of law
  18. bore — to drill
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. sharp — clever

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