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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — music
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. key — the most important part
  7. bore — to tire
  8. pop — to visit
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bore — to drill
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — thin
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. branch — a division
  17. track — a path
  18. track — to keep track
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. key — in music
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. track — a song
  24. fork — in a road

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