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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  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. trunk — of an elephant
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. cap — of ice
  6. pop — to visit
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. cap — a lid
  10. bore — to tire
  11. land — a country
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. deal — to handle
  15. pop — soda
  16. pop — music
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. cap — a hat
  19. land — ground
  20. land — to come down
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  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