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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  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. trunk — of a tree
  2. bank — for money
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. last — finally
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bore — to drill
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. cold — not warm
  9. mate — a friend
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. cold — an illness
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. last — final
  15. bank — for money
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bank — of a river
  18. mate — to breed
  19. mate — a partner
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. last — to go on
  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