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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to drill
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — in football
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. track — a path
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. charge — in control
  16. track — a song
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. charge — a price
  19. bore — to tire
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. saw — the tool
  22. charge — electricity
  23. saw — the tool
  24. track — to keep track

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