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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — to drill
  3. march — music
  4. object — to protest
  5. lean — to bend
  6. date — the fruit
  7. object — a thing
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. lean — thin
  12. rest — what's left
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — a break
  21. object — an aim
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. date — on the calendar
  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