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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. rest — a break
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. rush — hurry
  11. chest — of your body
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. chest — of your body
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. rest — what's left
  16. bat — the animal
  17. track — a path
  18. bore — to tire
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bore — to drill
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. track — a song
  23. chest — a box
  24. rest — what's left

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