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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. chest — of your body
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. present — a gift
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — a short time
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. present — the time now
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. spring — the season
  14. bore — to tire
  15. spring — a coil
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. scale — in music
  18. bore — to drill
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. present — there
  21. spell — magic
  22. spring — of water
  23. scale — size or range
  24. chest — a box

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