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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. can — a tin
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bear — the animal
  12. season — in sport
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. can — to be able to
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. can — a tin
  21. season — of the year
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. bear — the animal
  24. calf — of the leg

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