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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: bore · calf · hide · coach · safe · drill · field · straw

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. bore — to drill
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. field — farmland
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. field — a subject
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. field — for sport
  17. drill — a practice
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. drill — the tool
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. drill — army training
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bore — gave birth

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