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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
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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 · arm · cue · bark · plane · ball · calf · track

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. cue — a hint
  6. bark — to shout
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. cue — a signal
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bore — to tire
  11. track — a path
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bore — to drill
  15. plane — a tool
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. track — a song
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cue — for pool
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. calf — of the leg

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