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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. bore — to drill
  6. wake — a trail
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. tube — a container
  9. bear — the animal
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bear — the animal
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. tube — the underground
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. ball — a great time

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