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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. clip — for paper
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. prune — to trim
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. band — a ring
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. lean — to bend
  14. prune — to trim
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. clip — to cut
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. bore — to tire
  20. lean — thin
  21. band — a music group
  22. clip — a video
  23. bore — to drill
  24. mouse — the animal

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