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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. stand — to bear
  3. cue — a signal
  4. bound — certain
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bound — obliged
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. date — the fruit
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. bound — tied together
  19. saw — the tool
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. saw — the tool
  23. lean — to bend
  24. date — on the calendar

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