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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  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 — to tire
  2. hand — in cards
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. hand — help
  5. object — an aim
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. bass — the fish
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bass — low music
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. stand — to bear
  14. bore — to drill
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. object — to protest
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. object — a thing
  22. swing — in golf
  23. bore — gave birth
  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