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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. foot — a measure
  7. cell — a phone
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. bound — tied together
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. cell — in biology
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. stem — to come from
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bore — to tire
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bound — certain
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. rest — what's left
  24. bound — obliged

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