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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — a short time
  4. band — a music group
  5. staff — employees
  6. spell — letters
  7. tube — a container
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. row — to paddle
  12. band — a ring
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. staff — employees
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. row — a line
  19. tube — the underground
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. staff — a stick
  22. deal — to handle
  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