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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bore — to tire
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. rock — music
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. hand — in cards
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — to visit
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bore — to drill
  15. rock — a stone
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. pop — music
  18. calf — a young animal

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