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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — to tire
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. can — a tin
  9. pit — a hole
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. can — a tin
  14. root — of a word
  15. root — the cause
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. root — of a plant
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pit — in a race

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