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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. field — for sport
  4. rest — what's left
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. rest — a break
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. hand — help
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bore — to tire
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. field — farmland
  17. bulb — for light
  18. fork — in a road
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. field — a subject
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. coach — a trainer

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