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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. mug — a cup
  5. bore — to drill
  6. firm — steady
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. mug — to rob
  13. branch — a division
  14. date — the fruit
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. fine — high quality
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. squash — the sport
  19. firm — a company
  20. fine — all right
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bore — to tire
  23. firm — decided
  24. trunk — of a tree

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