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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. cap — a hat
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. cap — of ice
  9. file — a document
  10. object — a thing
  11. bore — to tire
  12. file — a tool
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. cap — a lid
  16. object — to protest
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — in football
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. deal — to handle
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. deal — an agreement

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