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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. last — finally
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — crushed
  7. track — a song
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. last — to go on
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. last — final
  12. bore — to tire
  13. craft — boats
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. craft — a skill
  16. track — a path
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. ground — a position
  19. bore — to drill
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. hand — in cards

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