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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: hand · calf · roll · rush · cell · mate · bore · bat

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — to tire
  6. cell — in biology
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. rush — hurry
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. hand — in cards
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. roll — a cake
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. hand — help
  16. mate — a friend
  17. cell — a phone
  18. bat — the animal
  19. mate — to breed
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. calf — of the leg

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