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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. face — to confront
  6. branch — a division
  7. face — part of the head
  8. charge — in control
  9. fall — the season
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. snap — to click
  12. bore — to drill
  13. fall — to drop
  14. cue — a hint
  15. cue — for pool
  16. face — to point toward
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — a price
  20. fall — to drop
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bore — gave birth

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