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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 120 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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. bore — to tire
  4. content — happy
  5. band — a music group
  6. bound — tied together
  7. content — the amount
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. band — a ring
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — a tool
  12. pitch — completely
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bound — certain
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bound — obliged
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. content — videos and posts

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