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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. file — a document
  9. bore — to drill
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. file — a line of people
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bank — of a river
  17. capital — money
  18. capital — a city
  19. bank — for money
  20. snap — to click
  21. file — a tool
  22. bank — for money
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a hole

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