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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. track — to keep track
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. saw — the tool
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. net — after costs
  9. can — a tin
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. track — a path
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. saw — the tool
  14. net — in sport
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. net — for catching
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. track — a song
  22. bore — to drill
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. calf — a young animal

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