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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. bore — to drill
  6. rest — a break
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mug — a cup
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. mug — a face
  11. rest — what's left
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. tube — a container
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. mug — to rob
  18. pound — a weight
  19. bore — to tire
  20. tube — the underground
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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