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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. land — ground
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. land — a country
  6. band — a ring
  7. fork — in a road
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. land — to come down
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. bore — to drill
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. chair — a leader
  23. band — a music group
  24. lash — to lash out

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