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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. stem — to come from
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. mine — for digging
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. tube — the underground
  9. bore — to tire
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. board — a committee
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. board — to get on
  20. kick — in football
  21. tube — a container
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bore — gave birth

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