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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.

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: bore · calf · net · hide · cabinet · arm · spring · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. spring — a coil
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. net — after costs
  5. bore — to tire
  6. spring — the season
  7. net — for catching
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. spring — of water
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. net — in sport
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — a break
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bore — to drill
  24. hide — animal skin

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