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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
468
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: jam · ball · bore · leaves · tear · vault · calf · foot

  1. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bore — to tire
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. ball — a dance
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. bore — to drill
  17. ball — a great time
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. foot — a measure
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tear — from crying
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. vault — a safe
  24. leaves — lets stay

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