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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. cell — in biology
  3. mine — for digging
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bank — for money
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. bank — for money
  9. bulb — for light
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. bore — to drill
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. bulb — for light
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bank — of a river
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. cell — a phone
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bulb — of a plant

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