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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  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. leaves — lets stay
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. mug — to rob
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. land — ground
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. clip — for paper
  15. land — to come down
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. clip — a video
  18. mug — a face
  19. clip — to cut
  20. bore — to tire
  21. mug — a cup
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. land — a country
  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