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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: coach · bore · cabinet · land · kick · file · calf · object

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. land — ground
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. kick — in football
  11. file — a document
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. land — to come down
  14. object — an aim
  15. file — a tool
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. land — a country
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. object — a thing
  20. object — to protest
  21. file — a line of people
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — to drill

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