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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's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. pit — a hole
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — magic
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. sharp — clever
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. branch — a division
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. pit — in a race
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. spell — a short time
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. bore — to drill

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