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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. bulb — for light
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bore — to tire
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bore — to drill
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. cue — a signal
  10. cue — a hint
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. kid — child
  13. march — the month
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wound — an injury
  17. march — music
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. wound — an injury
  20. march — the month
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. kid — to tease
  24. bore — gave birth

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