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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. lean — thin
  3. rest — a break
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rest — what's left
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. spell — letters
  10. rest — what's left
  11. spell — magic
  12. track — a path
  13. track — to keep track
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bore — to tire
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. spell — a short time
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. track — a song
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. calf — of the leg

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