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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  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. bark — of a tree
  2. bore — to drill
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. season — in sport
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bore — to tire
  15. ball — a dance
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bark — to shout
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. season — of the year
  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