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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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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: wave · capital · ball · bore · rule · nail · calf · kick

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. rule — government
  3. kick — in football
  4. rule — a law
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. ball — a dance
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. capital — a city
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bore — to tire
  18. capital — money
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. ball — a great time
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. nail — for a hammer

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