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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: saw · mug · cell · calf · pound · bear · stock · bore

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. mug — a face
  7. bear — the animal
  8. cell — in biology
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stock — shares
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. mug — a cup
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. mug — to rob
  19. stock — goods
  20. cell — a phone
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pound — a weight
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — to drill

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