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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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. net — in sport
  5. bank — of a river
  6. tear — from crying
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ball — a great time
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. prune — to trim
  12. bank — for money
  13. net — after costs
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. prune — to trim
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. tear — to rip
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. ball — a dance
  20. net — for catching
  21. tear — from crying
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bank — for money
  24. bore — to drill

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