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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 116 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: content · bear · rest · bore · calf · wound · snap · deal

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. rest — what's left
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. content — happy
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. content — the amount
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bore — to drill
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. bear — the animal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. rest — a break
  14. snap — to click
  15. bore — to tire
  16. rest — what's left
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. wound — an injury
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. wound — an injury
  24. calf — a young animal

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