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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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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: rock · calf · leaves · race · ball · bore · snap · cell

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. race — humankind
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. cell — a phone
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. race — a contest
  12. cell — in biology
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. rock — music
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bore — to drill
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. race — the arms race
  24. bore — to tire

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