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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 116 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. bore — to tire
  3. rash — hasty
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. track — to keep track
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. stem — to come from
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bark — to shout
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. track — a path
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. rash — a series
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. stem — of a plant

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