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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. season — in sport
  4. rash — a series
  5. staff — employees
  6. lie — to recline
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bat — the animal
  9. staff — employees
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. bore — to drill
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bore — to tire
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. staff — a stick
  22. rash — hasty
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. season — of the year

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