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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. track — to keep track
  4. bore — to drill
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. track — a path
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. spring — the season
  9. bore — to tire
  10. track — a song
  11. suit — to fit
  12. staff — employees
  13. hand — in cards
  14. spring — of water
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — in cards
  18. staff — employees
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. hand — help
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. trunk — of a car

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