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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 120 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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. snap — to click
  4. pop — music
  5. fine — all right
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. fine — high quality
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. pop — to visit
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pop — soda
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bore — to tire
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bore — to drill
  24. fork — in a road

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