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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.

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: can · mine · stem · spring · bore · calf · pitch · rush

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. can — a tin
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bore — to tire
  11. spring — the season
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. bore — to drill
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. pitch — completely
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. spring — a coil
  19. spring — of water
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — to be able to
  23. mine — for digging
  24. pitch — a sports field

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