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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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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: net · bore · fan · calf · saw · present · staff · rash

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. net — for catching
  4. bore — to drill
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. saw — the tool
  7. staff — a stick
  8. present — a gift
  9. net — after costs
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. saw — the tool
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. rash — a series
  14. staff — employees
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. net — in sport
  17. staff — employees
  18. present — there
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. present — the time now
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. rash — hasty
  23. bore — to tire
  24. rash — on the skin

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