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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — soda
  5. kid — to tease
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. charge — in control
  9. pop — music
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. charge — a price
  14. row — to paddle
  15. bore — to tire
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. kid — child
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. foot — a measure
  20. charge — electricity
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bore — to drill
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. row — a line

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