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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 120 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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. shower — rain
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. season — of the year
  8. sharp — clever
  9. bark — to shout
  10. tube — a container
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bore — to tire
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. bore — to drill
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. pit — in a race
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. season — in sport

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