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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 120 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: saw · mug · bore · club · calf · stand · rush · clip

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. club — for dancing
  3. mug — a cup
  4. saw — the tool
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. rush — hurry
  7. mug — a face
  8. bore — to drill
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bore — to tire
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. club — for golf
  14. club — a group
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. clip — to cut
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. saw — the tool
  20. mug — to rob
  21. stand — to bear
  22. clip — for paper
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. clip — a video

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