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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bore — to drill
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — to drop
  9. ground — crushed
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. ground — the earth
  12. can — a tin
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fall — the season
  17. can — a tin
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. mate — a partner
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bore — to tire
  23. mate — to breed
  24. ground — a position

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