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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.

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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: land · hide · ball · bore · calf · current · coach · date

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. land — a country
  3. ball — a great time
  4. date — the fruit
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. current — happening now
  9. land — ground
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. land — to come down
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. current — electric
  15. bore — to drill
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. ball — a dance
  18. current — of water
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bore — to tire
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. calf — a young animal

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