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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 120 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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. field — farmland
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to drill
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. spring — of water
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bound — certain
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. spring — the season
  19. field — for sport
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — tied together
  23. field — a subject
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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