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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. mine — for digging
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bass — low music
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bore — to tire
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bass — the fish
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bat — the animal
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. bore — to drill

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