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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: mate · last · can · saw · bore · calf · mark · staff

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  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. mark — a grade
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. can — to be able to
  5. last — finally
  6. last — to go on
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. bore — to tire
  9. staff — employees
  10. mark — a trace
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — a partner
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. staff — employees
  17. bore — to drill
  18. staff — a stick
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — the tool
  21. mate — to breed
  22. last — final
  23. calf — a young animal
  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