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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. chair — a leader
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. clip — a video
  10. bore — to tire
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. firm — a company
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. bore — to drill
  16. firm — decided
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. clip — to cut
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. ball — a dance
  21. firm — steady
  22. clip — for paper
  23. pass — a permit
  24. ball — a great time

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