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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to drill
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bark — to shout
  8. content — the amount
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. dip — to sink
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. bore — to tire
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. branch — a division
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. content — happy
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. wave — with your hand

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