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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. rock — a stone
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. wake — a trail
  5. fine — all right
  6. net — in sport
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. net — for catching
  10. rest — a break
  11. drill — a practice
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rest — what's left
  15. fine — high quality
  16. bore — to tire
  17. rest — what's left
  18. net — after costs
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. drill — army training
  21. rock — music
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bore — to drill
  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