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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bound — tied together
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bore — to drill
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ground — a position
  8. file — a tool
  9. ground — crushed
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bound — certain
  13. firm — a company
  14. firm — decided
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. mate — a partner
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. file — a line of people
  20. firm — steady
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. bore — to tire
  23. file — a document
  24. mate — a friend

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