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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bore — to drill
  5. face — to point toward
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bore — to tire
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bank — for money
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — for digging
  13. face — to confront
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. ground — a position
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. rash — a series
  20. pound — a weight
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. rash — hasty

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