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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bore — to drill
  3. net — after costs
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. staff — a stick
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. scale — size or range
  9. staff — employees
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. staff — employees
  12. bore — to tire
  13. perch — the fish
  14. net — for catching
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. scale — in music
  17. net — in sport
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. bore — gave birth

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