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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: bore · mouse · hide · bear · mine · bat · content · calf

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. content — happy
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. content — the amount
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bore — to tire
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — for baseball

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