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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. fine — all right
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. staff — employees
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. swing — music
  11. bore — to tire
  12. staff — a stick
  13. swing — to play on
  14. fine — high quality
  15. staff — employees
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bore — to drill
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. swing — in golf

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