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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. bore — to drill
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. staff — employees
  8. spring — of water
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — the season
  13. bat — the animal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. staff — employees
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. deal — to handle
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. tube — a container
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bore — to tire
  24. tube — the underground

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