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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.

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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: calf · bore · track · race · bear · mine · branch · season

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. season — of the year
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. race — a contest
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. branch — a division
  8. bear — the animal
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. race — humankind
  11. track — to keep track
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. track — a path
  14. bore — to drill
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. track — a song
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. season — in sport
  21. mine — for digging
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bore — to tire
  24. season — to add flavour

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