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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. fall — to drop
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. charge — a price
  6. march — the month
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bore — to tire
  9. chest — of your body
  10. march — the month
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. charge — electricity
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bore — to drill
  16. chest — a box
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. pound — a weight
  19. march — music
  20. fall — the season
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. charge — in control
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pound — for dogs

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