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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: fall · trunk · pound · club · calf · bore · face · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bore — to tire
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. club — a group
  7. face — to confront
  8. club — for golf
  9. bore — to drill
  10. pound — a weight
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. fall — to drop
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. club — for dancing
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. fall — the season
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. fall — to drop
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. face — to point toward
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. mouse — the 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