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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. bound — certain
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. tube — a container
  5. club — a group
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bore — to drill
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bound — tied together
  11. mine — for digging
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bound — obliged
  14. bore — to tire
  15. saw — the tool
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. club — for golf
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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