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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. charge — in control
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. wound — an injury
  10. cap — of ice
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. charge — a price
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. wound — an injury
  16. charge — electricity
  17. cap — a lid
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. row — a line
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. row — to paddle
  22. bore — to tire
  23. cap — a hat
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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