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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bore — to tire
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. spring — the season
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. wax — to grow
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. wound — an injury
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bore — to drill
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. spring — of water
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. spring — a coil

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