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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bore — to drill
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. suit — to fit
  7. clip — for paper
  8. fork — in a road
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. rash — hasty
  11. clip — a video
  12. cell — in biology
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rash — a series
  15. suit — in cards
  16. cell — a phone
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. clip — to cut
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. suit — clothes
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. rush — hurry

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