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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pit — a hole
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. prune — to trim
  8. chip — for betting
  9. pit — in a race
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. chip — to eat
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. bore — to tire
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bore — to drill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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