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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. bear — the animal
  4. lean — to bend
  5. lean — thin
  6. bear — the animal
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bass — low music
  12. wake — a trail
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a hole
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bass — the fish
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bore — to drill
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. wind — moving air

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