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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: bowl · sharp · shower · ground · bore · rock · trunk · calf

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. ground — the earth
  5. shower — to wash
  6. rock — music
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. rock — a stone
  9. sharp — clever
  10. bore — to drill
  11. ground — a position
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. ground — crushed
  14. shower — rain
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. calf — of the leg

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