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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. club — for dancing
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. ground — a position
  8. bore — to drill
  9. ground — the earth
  10. ground — crushed
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. club — for golf
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. stock — shares
  15. club — a group
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. stock — goods
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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