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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. net — for catching
  3. staff — employees
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. staff — a stick
  6. spring — of water
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. spring — the season
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — to tire
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. staff — employees
  17. net — in sport
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. net — after costs
  21. spring — a coil
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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