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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 120 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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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: court · bore · file · bay · mine · calf · kick · trunk

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. file — a line of people
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. file — a tool
  9. court — for sport
  10. file — a document
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. kick — in football
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — of law
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bore — to tire
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bore — to drill
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bay — a horse colour

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