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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. cap — of ice
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a tool
  6. lean — thin
  7. file — a line of people
  8. lean — to bend
  9. bore — to drill
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. stand — to bear
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — a lid
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bore — to tire
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. foot — a measure
  24. toast — bread

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