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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — hurry
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. pit — a hole
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bore — to drill
  23. bore — to tire
  24. rush — to hurry

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