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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 120 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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bore — to drill
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. squash — the sport
  11. cue — a hint
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — a tin
  15. squash — to crush
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bore — to tire
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a signal
  24. content — happy

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