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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. root — of a word
  6. prune — to trim
  7. prune — to trim
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wax — to grow
  11. kick — in football
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. root — the cause
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. lie — to recline
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bore — to tire
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. root — of a plant

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