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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. ground — crushed
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. ground — a position
  21. wake — a trail
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bulb — for light

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