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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. spell — letters
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. plane — a tool
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. spell — magic
  10. cell — in biology
  11. ball — a dance
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. ball — a great time
  16. bore — to drill
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. spell — a short time
  19. cell — a phone
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bore — to tire
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mine — for digging

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