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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: mug · calf · drill · mark · rash · staff · bore · cold

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — a cup
  5. drill — the tool
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. rash — hasty
  9. drill — a practice
  10. mark — a trace
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cold — not warm
  13. rash — a series
  14. cold — an illness
  15. bore — to drill
  16. staff — employees
  17. drill — army training
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. bore — to tire
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mark — a grade

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