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

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. bore — to tire
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. spring — of water
  6. squash — to crush
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. spring — a coil
  10. spring — the season
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. band — a music group
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to drill
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. band — a ring
  24. fan — to cool the air

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