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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: chair · sharp · rule · fan · pop · calf · bore · net

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. net — for catching
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. sharp — clever
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bore — to drill
  7. pop — music
  8. pop — to visit
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. net — after costs
  11. rule — government
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. net — in sport
  15. pop — soda
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. rule — a law
  19. bore — to tire
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — to sit on

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