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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 116 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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. can — a tin
  3. cue — a signal
  4. content — happy
  5. bore — to drill
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. kid — to tease
  8. cue — for pool
  9. content — the amount
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. can — to be able to
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. can — a tin
  20. kid — child
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. cue — a hint
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. bore — gave birth

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