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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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. lie — to recline
  4. march — the month
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. march — the month
  8. stock — shares
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. track — a path
  12. bore — to tire
  13. track — to keep track
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. stock — goods
  16. bore — to drill
  17. track — a song
  18. march — music
  19. plane — a tool
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. plane — an aircraft

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