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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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. chair — a leader
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. key — for a lock
  7. key — in music
  8. rock — music
  9. spell — magic
  10. chest — of your body
  11. chest — of your body
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bore — to drill
  15. spell — letters
  16. key — the most important part
  17. drill — the tool
  18. bore — to tire
  19. spell — a short time
  20. chest — a box
  21. rock — a stone
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. drill — army training
  24. chair — a professorship

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