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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: pop · bore · dip · patient · tear · suit · game · calf

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. pop — to visit
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — to tire
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. game — a match
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. suit — clothes
  12. pop — soda
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. dip — to sink
  16. tear — from crying
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. suit — in cards
  19. pop — music
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. suit — to fit
  22. tear — to rip
  23. game — wild animals
  24. calf — a young animal

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