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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 120 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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. pound — a weight
  3. bore — to tire
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bore — to drill
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. branch — a division
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. stand — to bear
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. branch — of a bank

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