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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. board — to get on
  5. saw — the tool
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. spell — a short time
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bore — to drill
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. spell — letters
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bore — to tire
  18. snap — to click
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. board — a committee
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. spell — magic

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