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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. chest — of your body
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. chest — a box
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bore — to tire
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. chest — of your body
  14. prune — to trim
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. tube — the underground
  19. tube — a container
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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