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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: ball · hide · mine · bore · safe · calf · hand · bear

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. hand — in cards
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. ball — a dance
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bore — to drill
  16. mine — for digging
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. hand — help
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bore — to tire
  24. safe — out of danger

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