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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. firm — a company
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bore — to tire
  5. firm — steady
  6. cap — a hat
  7. bore — to drill
  8. march — the month
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. cap — of ice
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. cap — a lid
  17. firm — decided
  18. march — the month
  19. roll — a cake
  20. march — music
  21. roll — a list
  22. bat — the animal
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. bore — gave birth

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