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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bound — obliged
  7. cap — of ice
  8. bound — tied together
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. wound — an injury
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bore — to drill
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bound — certain
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — a hat

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