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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bore — to drill
  4. plane — a tool
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. bore — to tire
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. rash — hasty
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. ground — crushed
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — the earth
  21. chair — a leader
  22. rash — a series
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. fan — to cool the air

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