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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: nail · calf · bore · pit · mate · branch

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. mate — to breed
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bore — to drill
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. mate — a friend
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. bore — to tire
  13. pit — in a race
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. branch — a division
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pit — a hole

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