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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. lean — to bend
  4. board — to get on
  5. spell — letters
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bore — to drill
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bear — the animal
  12. pass — a permit
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bore — to tire
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. lean — thin
  18. toast — bread
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. spell — a short time
  22. board — a committee
  23. spell — magic
  24. calf — a young animal

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