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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. staff — employees
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. staff — a stick
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. net — for catching
  11. bore — to drill
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. mine — for digging
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. plane — a tool
  16. net — in sport
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. net — after costs
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. snap — to click
  22. sharp — clever
  23. staff — employees
  24. mine — belonging to me

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