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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. lean — thin
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. bore — to tire
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. ground — a position
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. lean — to bend
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. march — the month
  13. bore — to drill
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. march — the month
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. perch — the fish
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. ground — the earth
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. march — music
  24. fan — a supporter

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