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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 · bear · bore · face · content · fan · roll · ground

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bore — to tire
  4. face — part of the head
  5. content — happy
  6. bear — the animal
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. roll — a cake
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. face — to point toward
  16. face — to confront
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bear — the animal
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — crushed
  21. roll — a list
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bore — to drill
  24. fan — to cool the air

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