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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. present — there
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — the time now
  7. track — a path
  8. track — to keep track
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bore — to drill
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. track — a song
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bore — to tire
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. trunk — of a car

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