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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: game · hide · coach · calf · bark · cap · bore · arm

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. cap — of ice
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bore — to drill
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. game — a match
  10. bark — to shout
  11. cap — a lid
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cap — a hat
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. game — wild animals
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bore — to tire
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bark — 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