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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. deal — to handle
  5. shower — rain
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. key — in music
  9. dip — to sink
  10. bore — to drill
  11. bore — to tire
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. shower — to wash
  16. key — the most important part
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. key — for a lock

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