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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ball · clip · toast · tube · bore · trunk · band · calf

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. toast — bread
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. tube — a container
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. clip — to cut
  9. bore — to drill
  10. clip — a video
  11. ball — a dance
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bore — to tire
  16. ball — a great time
  17. tube — the underground
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. band — a music group
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. clip — for paper
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. band — a ring

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