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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. ground — a position
  8. ground — crushed
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. ground — the earth
  13. game — wild animals
  14. rash — hasty
  15. game — a match
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lean — to bend
  22. rash — a series
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — to tire

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