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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to drill
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — in sport
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. firm — a company
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. firm — decided
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. firm — steady
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. hand — help
  15. plane — a tool
  16. band — a ring
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. hand — in cards
  20. net — for catching
  21. band — a music group
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bore — to tire

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