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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: row · calf · cap · clip · bore · bat · present · can

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. present — there
  3. can — a tin
  4. cap — a hat
  5. clip — a video
  6. present — the time now
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. row — a line
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. row — to paddle
  14. bat — the animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. clip — to cut
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. cap — of ice
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. clip — for paper
  23. bore — to drill
  24. present — a gift

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