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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bore — to drill
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. net — for catching
  6. fall — the season
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bass — the fish
  9. clip — for paper
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bass — low music
  12. bore — to tire
  13. mug — a face
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. net — in sport
  18. mug — to rob
  19. net — after costs
  20. clip — to cut
  21. clip — a video
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. fall — to drop
  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