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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. track — to keep track
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bore — to drill
  9. track — a path
  10. court — of a king
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. court — of law
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bulb — for light
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. court — for sport
  20. track — a song
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. calf — a young animal

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