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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. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. can — a tin
  4. bore — to tire
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. can — to be able to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. spring — a coil
  10. can — a tin
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. mate — a partner
  13. spring — of water
  14. mate — to breed
  15. mate — a friend
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. spring — the season
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. bore — to drill
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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