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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. can — a tin
  6. stem — to come from
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bore — to tire
  11. saw — the tool
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. can — to be able to
  15. can — a tin
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. bore — to drill
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. rush — hurry
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. saw — the tool
  24. deal — an agreement

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