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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 116 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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. band — a ring
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — to tire
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. plane — a tool
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bear — the animal
  14. kid — child
  15. current — of water
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. band — a music group
  21. bear — the animal
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kid — to tease
  24. band — a rubber band

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