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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: saw · date · cap · bore · trunk · tube · pitcher · calf

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — a container
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. cap — a hat
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bore — to tire
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bore — to drill
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. saw — the tool
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — the fruit
  24. saw — the tool

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