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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. shower — rain
  4. pass — a permit
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bank — for money
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. pop — soda
  12. bore — to drill
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. kick — in football
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bank — for money
  17. bore — to tire
  18. shower — to wash
  19. pop — music
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. pop — to visit
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. mine — belonging to me

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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