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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. spell — letters
  5. mate — a friend
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. spell — a short time
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bore — to tire
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bore — to drill
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stand — to bear
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. mate — to breed
  24. spell — magic

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