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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 116 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: mine · calf · season · bark · bore · pit · lash · coach

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bark — to shout
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. mine — for digging
  12. pit — a hole
  13. season — in sport
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. season — of the year
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. mine — belonging to me

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