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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. ground — a position
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. ground — the earth
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. spring — the season
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. wound — an injury
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bank — of a river
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. foot — a measure
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bank — for money
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bank — for money
  18. ground — crushed
  19. spring — a coil
  20. bore — to drill
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. spring — of water
  24. wave — with your hand

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