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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bore — to tire
  4. ball — a great time
  5. wind — moving air
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fall — to drop
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. kid — child
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. ball — a dance
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fall — the season
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. wind — moving air
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. kid — to tease
  24. fall — to drop

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