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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. bore — to drill
  5. sharp — clever
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. field — farmland
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. field — a subject
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. field — for sport
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. branch — a division
  23. bore — to tire
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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