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

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bore — to tire
  3. rock — a stone
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. rock — music
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. content — the amount
  15. bore — to drill
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. chair — a leader
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. content — happy
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stem — a stem cell

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