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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. can — a tin
  3. suit — clothes
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. suit — in cards
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. bat — the animal
  10. can — a tin
  11. bore — to drill
  12. suit — to fit
  13. bore — to tire
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. can — to be able to
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. track — a song
  18. track — a path
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. snap — to click
  23. fork — in a road
  24. bat — for baseball

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