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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. spring — a coil
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. ground — the earth
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. content — happy
  14. content — the amount
  15. ground — a position
  16. bore — to tire
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. ground — crushed
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. spring — of water
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bore — to drill
  23. spring — the season
  24. saw — the tool

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