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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. bound — certain
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. face — part of the head
  7. bore — to drill
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. face — to point toward
  10. tube — a container
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. foot — a measure
  17. tube — the underground
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bound — tied together
  21. face — to confront
  22. bore — to tire
  23. snap — to click
  24. bound — obliged

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