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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. bore — to tire
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. chest — of your body
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. chest — a box
  8. bank — for money
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. chest — of your body
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bank — for money
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bank — of a river
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — the sport
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. bore — to drill
  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