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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 116 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. spring — a coil
  4. bore — to drill
  5. bore — to tire
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — a lid
  8. spring — of water
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. spring — the season
  18. hand — in cards
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. hand — help
  22. cap — of ice
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. trunk — of a tree

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