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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to tire
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. ball — a dance
  7. spell — a short time
  8. track — a song
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. ball — a great time
  11. bore — to drill
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. track — to keep track
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. spell — letters
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. track — a path
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. spell — magic
  24. bat — the 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