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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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. staff — employees
  3. court — for sport
  4. mark — a trace
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. mark — a grade
  8. bore — to drill
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. season — of the year
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. court — of law
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. court — of a king
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. season — in sport
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. staff — a stick
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bore — to tire
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. staff — employees

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