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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: straw · jam · season · racket · bore · wound · pound · calf

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bore — to drill
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. bore — to tire
  6. season — in sport
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. wound — an injury
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. pound — a weight
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. wound — an injury
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. season — of the year
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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