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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 · track · leaves · calf · race · season · staff · pit

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. pit — in a race
  3. race — a contest
  4. season — of the year
  5. race — the arms race
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. race — humankind
  9. track — a song
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. staff — a stick
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. staff — employees
  14. season — in sport
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. track — a path
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bore — to tire
  20. staff — employees
  21. track — to keep track
  22. bore — to drill
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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