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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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. bore — to tire
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. rest — a break
  7. bore — to drill
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rest — what's left
  10. dip — to sink
  11. stem — to come from
  12. charge — in control
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. court — for sport
  15. court — of a king
  16. pound — a weight
  17. rest — what's left
  18. charge — a price
  19. court — of law
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — a sauce

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