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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. rest — a break
  4. pop — music
  5. spring — the season
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. fine — high quality
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. pop — soda
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. bore — to drill
  12. deal — to handle
  13. spring — of water
  14. rest — what's left
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to bend
  17. bore — to tire
  18. pop — to visit
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. rest — what's left
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. spring — a coil
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. trunk — of a car

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