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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  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. firm — decided
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. firm — a company
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. firm — steady
  7. chair — a leader
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bound — tied together
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. bore — to tire
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bound — certain
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lash — an eyelash
  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