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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. pop — to visit
  5. suit — in cards
  6. bore — to tire
  7. cell — a phone
  8. field — a subject
  9. pop — soda
  10. suit — clothes
  11. field — for sport
  12. cell — in biology
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a music group
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. suit — to fit
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. pop — music
  21. band — a ring
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. field — farmland
  24. bore — to drill

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