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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bank — for money
  3. bore — to tire
  4. tube — a container
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. ball — a great time
  8. wound — an injury
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. ball — a dance
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. bank — for money
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. tube — the underground
  15. bank — of a river
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bore — to drill
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. spring — a coil
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. spring — of water
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. spring — the season

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