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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 116 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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. hand — help
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. sharp — clever
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bore — to drill
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bore — to tire
  10. rest — a break
  11. swing — to play on
  12. rest — what's left
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. rock — music
  16. swing — in golf
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. rock — a stone
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. swing — music
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. trunk — of a car

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