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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. bore — to tire
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. bore — to drill
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. fall — to drop
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bound — obliged
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bound — tied together
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bound — certain
  18. foot — a measure
  19. snap — to click
  20. fall — the season
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. straw — dry grass
  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