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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. bore — to drill
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. wound — an injury
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bore — to tire
  13. cell — in biology
  14. wound — an injury
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. rush — hurry
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. fine — high quality

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