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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — to drill
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. fall — to drop
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. spell — magic
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. fall — the season
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. shower — rain
  16. spell — letters
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. spell — a short time
  19. stem — to come from
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. shower — to wash
  24. safe — out of danger

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