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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.

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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: bore · leaves · lie · pit · field · calf · root · bear

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bear — the animal
  7. field — a subject
  8. root — of a plant
  9. root — of a word
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pit — in a race
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bore — to drill
  16. field — farmland
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. lie — to recline
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. root — the cause
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. pit — a hole

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