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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  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. kick — a thrill
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bore — to tire
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. bank — of a river
  8. kick — in football
  9. wake — a trail
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bank — for money
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bank — for money
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. rush — hurry
  22. dip — to sink
  23. kick — with a leg
  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