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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. spell — magic
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bound — tied together
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — a short time
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bore — to drill
  10. can — a tin
  11. lean — thin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. bound — certain
  14. can — a tin
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bound — obliged
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. dip — to sink
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. calf — of the leg

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