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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. board — to get on
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. roll — a list
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. prune — to trim
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. roll — a cake
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bat — the animal
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. board — a committee
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — to drill

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