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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bore — to drill
  7. ground — a position
  8. spell — a short time
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. rash — a series
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. rash — hasty
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ground — the earth
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. tear — to rip
  20. bore — to tire
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — letters

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