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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: snap · bore · perch · calf · lie · wound · charge · kid

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. snap — to click
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. charge — in control
  5. bore — to tire
  6. charge — electricity
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — to tease
  9. charge — a price
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. perch — the fish
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to drill
  15. kid — child
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wound — an injury
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  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