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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: bore · bulb · mine · leaves · trunk · calf · fork · spring

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bore — to drill
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. spring — of water
  12. fork — in a road
  13. spring — a coil
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bore — to tire
  18. spring — the season
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. bulb — for light
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. calf — a young animal

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