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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 116 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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bore — to tire
  4. wind — moving air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. object — to protest
  9. bore — to drill
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. bat — the animal
  13. object — an aim
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bank — for money
  16. object — a thing
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bank — for money
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. wind — moving air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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