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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — an injury
  5. object — an aim
  6. bore — to tire
  7. object — a thing
  8. bulb — for light
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to drill
  17. chair — a leader
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bulb — for light
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. object — to protest
  24. bound — tied together

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