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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. spring — of water
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. spring — a coil
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bore — to tire
  8. bore — to drill
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. branch — a division
  11. tube — the underground
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. degree — an amount
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spring — the season
  18. degree — temperature
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. tube — a container
  22. stand — to bear
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bore — gave birth

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