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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. kid — to tease
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rush — hurry
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bank — for money
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bank — of a river
  17. bank — for money
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bore — to tire
  20. kick — in football
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. kid — child

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