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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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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: deal · calf · club · kid · ruler · mine · arm · bore

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bore — to drill
  5. club — for golf
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. kid — to tease
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. mine — for digging
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — to handle
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. club — a group
  17. kid — child
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. club — for dancing
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. arm — part of the body

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