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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  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. bore — gave birth
  2. stand — to bear
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. mark — a trace
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. rule — government
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. mark — a grade
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. bore — to tire
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. rule — a law
  23. mouse — for a computer
  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