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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. bore — to drill
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. staff — employees
  10. rule — government
  11. bound — tied together
  12. branch — a division
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. bound — certain
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. rule — a law
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bound — obliged
  21. pound — a weight
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. arm — part of the body

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