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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: file · foot · spring · kid · calf · bore · leaves · hand

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bore — to tire
  4. spring — of water
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. kid — child
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. kid — to tease
  14. file — a tool
  15. file — a line of people
  16. spring — a coil
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. file — a document
  19. foot — a measure
  20. bore — to drill
  21. hand — in cards
  22. spring — the season
  23. hand — help
  24. leaves — of a tree

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