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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: calf · track · cap · spring · season · bore · sharp · bound

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. season — in sport
  3. cap — a lid
  4. sharp — clever
  5. track — to keep track
  6. spring — the season
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. cap — of ice
  9. track — a path
  10. bound — certain
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bore — to drill
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. season — of the year
  15. spring — of water
  16. bound — obliged
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bound — tied together
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. track — a song
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cap — a hat

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