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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · safe · bat · calf · wind · bore · stem · mate

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bore — to drill
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bat — the animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. stem — to come from
  10. mate — a friend
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bore — to tire
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a partner
  19. pit — in a race
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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