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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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Word bank
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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: mate · calf · hide · racket · chip · bore · firm · land

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bore — to drill
  3. land — ground
  4. mate — a friend
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. mate — a partner
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. firm — a company
  10. firm — steady
  11. land — a country
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bore — to tire
  15. mate — to breed
  16. chip — to eat
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. firm — decided
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. land — to come down
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. chip — for betting
  24. hide — to keep secret

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