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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  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. spring — a coil
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. can — to be able to
  4. bore — to tire
  5. spring — of water
  6. shower — rain
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. can — a tin
  9. shower — to wash
  10. spring — the season
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. wax — to grow
  16. can — a tin
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. toast — bread
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bore — to drill
  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