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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: swing · calf · can · bore · pit · fan · bear · spring

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. can — to be able to
  4. spring — the season
  5. can — a tin
  6. bore — to drill
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bore — to tire
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — a coil
  18. swing — in golf
  19. can — a tin
  20. pit — a hole
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. pit — in a race
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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