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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. drill — army training
  3. fall — to drop
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. drill — the tool
  6. fall — to drop
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. bore — to tire
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. cue — for pool
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. lean — thin
  19. fall — the season
  20. cue — a hint
  21. ground — a position
  22. bore — to drill
  23. drill — a practice
  24. ground — the earth

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