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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 120 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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bore — to tire
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. band — a ring
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. key — the most important part
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bore — to drill
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — in music
  23. band — a music group
  24. stand — to bear

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