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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. current — happening now
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. bore — to tire
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bound — certain
  9. bound — tied together
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — to crush
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bore — to drill
  14. current — of water
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bound — obliged
  17. kid — child
  18. squash — the sport
  19. shower — to wash
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. current — electric
  24. shower — rain

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