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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bay · bore · spell · coach · drill · calf · sharp · kid

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. drill — the tool
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. drill — army training
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. spell — a short time
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. sharp — clever
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bore — to drill
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. kid — child
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bore — to tire
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. spell — magic

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