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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: bore · calf · stem · fall · can · wound · lash · date

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. wound — an injury
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bore — to tire
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. can — a tin
  11. bore — to drill
  12. stem — to come from
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. fall — to drop
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. fall — the season
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. date — the fruit
  24. wound — an injury

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