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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: content · hide · prune · chest · mug · bore · calf · cap

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. prune — to trim
  3. mug — a face
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. cap — a lid
  6. content — the amount
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bore — to tire
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. cap — a hat
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. content — happy
  16. chest — of your body
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. mug — to rob
  20. cap — of ice
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. chest — a box
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. prune — to trim

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