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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — to protest
  4. plane — a tool
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. fine — high quality
  7. bore — to tire
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. object — an aim
  11. fine — all right
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. dip — to sink
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bore — to drill
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. dip — to dunk

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