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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bore — to drill
  6. capital — money
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. rest — what's left
  11. plane — a tool
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. shower — to wash
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bore — to tire
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. rest — a break
  22. snap — to click
  23. capital — a city
  24. shower — rain

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