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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to drill
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bore — to tire
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fork — in a road
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. wax — to grow
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — music
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. stem — to come from
  22. lean — thin
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. wax — for sculpting

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