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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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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 · hand · bulb · bat · calf · foot · key · bound

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. key — in music
  3. bound — certain
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bore — to drill
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bore — to tire
  9. bound — obliged
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bulb — for light
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — the most important part
  21. hand — help
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bat — for baseball

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