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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — child
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. can — a tin
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. charge — in control
  13. can — to be able to
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. kid — to tease
  16. can — a tin
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bore — to tire
  19. charge — electricity
  20. charge — a price
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bore — to drill

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