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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 116 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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. suit — in cards
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. cell — in biology
  5. bore — to drill
  6. suit — clothes
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. field — farmland
  9. lean — to bend
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. mark — a grade
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mark — a trace
  19. field — a subject
  20. prune — to trim
  21. suit — to fit
  22. lean — thin
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. field — for sport

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