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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 116 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. David sat on the ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. swing — to play on
  3. can — a tin
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. wake — a trail
  8. swing — in golf
  9. saw — the tool
  10. squash — to crush
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. saw — the tool
  14. chip — to eat
  15. bore — to drill
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. swing — music
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. can — to be able to
  22. squash — the sport
  23. can — a tin
  24. chip — for betting

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