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

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bound — obliged
  3. pass — a permit
  4. club — a group
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bore — to tire
  9. lean — to bend
  10. club — for golf
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bound — certain
  14. lean — thin
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. club — for dancing
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bound — tied together
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. 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