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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: land · march · bore · deal · rock · hand · calf · safe

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. march — the month
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. march — the month
  8. hand — in cards
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. land — ground
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. march — music
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. hand — help
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bore — to drill
  20. deal — to handle
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — a country
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rock — to move gently

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