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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: calf · stick · bulb · bore · lie · hand · content · rush

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  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. rush — to hurry
  2. bore — to tire
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. rush — hurry
  6. lie — to recline
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. hand — help
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. content — happy
  19. content — the amount
  20. bore — to drill
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  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