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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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. march — music
  3. object — a thing
  4. land — to come down
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. march — the month
  7. mate — to breed
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. mug — to rob
  10. land — a country
  11. object — to protest
  12. bore — to drill
  13. rush — hurry
  14. mate — a partner
  15. mug — a face
  16. mate — a friend
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. object — an aim
  20. march — the month
  21. bore — to tire
  22. land — ground
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. mug — a cup

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