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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — a position
  8. staff — employees
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for golf
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. chest — of your body
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bore — to tire
  18. staff — employees
  19. club — for dancing
  20. chest — of your body
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. staff — a stick
  23. bore — to drill
  24. date — on the calendar

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