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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. toast — bread
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. saw — the tool
  13. scale — size or range
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bore — to drill
  18. scale — in music
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. kick — in football
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. toast — the most admired

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