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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: swing · staff · bat · calf · ground · bore · plane · present

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. present — the time now
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. swing — music
  6. ground — the earth
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. ground — a position
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. present — there
  11. ground — crushed
  12. swing — to play on
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bore — to tire
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bore — to drill
  20. swing — in golf
  21. plane — a tool
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. present — a gift
  24. plane — in geometry

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