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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bore — to drill
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — a hole
  8. spring — the season
  9. bore — to tire
  10. spring — of water
  11. face — to point toward
  12. tube — the underground
  13. spring — a coil
  14. lean — thin
  15. pit — in a race
  16. face — to confront
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. net — for catching
  21. lean — to bend
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. tube — a container

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