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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bore — to drill
  4. stand — to bear
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. spring — the season
  7. spring — of water
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. shower — rain
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. band — a ring
  13. season — in sport
  14. spring — a coil
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. band — a music group
  17. squash — the sport
  18. shower — to wash
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. squash — to crush
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. season — of the year

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