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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 120 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 ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bore — to drill
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. stand — to bear
  7. saw — the tool
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. bore — to tire
  13. firm — steady
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a line
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. firm — a company
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. firm — decided
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. stand — for spectators

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