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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: calf · track · mate · race · bore · mouse · hide · spring

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. race — humankind
  3. spring — of water
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — a partner
  7. race — a contest
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. spring — a coil
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bore — to tire
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bore — to drill
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. track — a song
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mate — to breed
  23. race — the arms race
  24. spring — the season

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