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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. track — to keep track
  3. prune — to trim
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. kid — child
  7. bore — to tire
  8. track — a song
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. kid — to tease
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. track — a path
  18. ground — a position
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. bore — to drill
  21. ground — crushed
  22. prune — to trim
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — part of the body

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