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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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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: bore · calf · bark · rock · charge · ball · trunk · cold

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. charge — a price
  9. bore — to drill
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cold — not warm
  12. charge — electricity
  13. ball — a great time
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to tire
  17. cold — an illness
  18. charge — in control
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. rock — music
  21. bark — to shout
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. bark — of a tree

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