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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: bear · tube · calf · leaves · bore · wax · ball · ground

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bore — to tire
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bear — the animal
  7. wax — to grow
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. ground — a position
  11. tube — a container
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. ground — the earth
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bore — to drill
  21. ground — crushed
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bear — the animal
  24. tube — in a tire

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