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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. drill — army training
  8. drill — a practice
  9. stock — goods
  10. sharp — clever
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — shares
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — to drill
  19. rash — a series
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. drill — the tool
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rash — hasty

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