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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. ball — a dance
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. drill — the tool
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bore — to drill
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. mate — to breed
  12. ball — a great time
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. mate — a partner
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bore — to tire
  19. lean — thin
  20. mate — a friend
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — army training
  24. bore — gave birth

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