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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 116 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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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. chair — a professorship
  2. spring — of water
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bore — to drill
  5. chair — a leader
  6. key — the most important part
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. key — for a lock
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bear — the animal
  15. key — in music
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bear — the animal
  20. spring — the season
  21. spring — a coil
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bear — to put up with
  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