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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bore — to drill
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. bound — tied together
  6. bound — obliged
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — thin
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. bound — certain
  16. row — a line
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. content — the amount
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. bore — to tire
  21. row — to paddle
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. content — happy

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