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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: bound · kid · hand · prune · calf · lie · bore · charge

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. charge — electricity
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. bore — to tire
  8. prune — to trim
  9. hand — help
  10. lie — to recline
  11. kid — child
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. charge — a price
  15. prune — to trim
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bound — certain
  20. hand — in cards
  21. charge — in control
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. kid — to tease

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