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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. rash — hasty
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. row — to paddle
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. deal — to handle
  8. suit — to fit
  9. drill — army training
  10. suit — in cards
  11. mark — a grade
  12. suit — clothes
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. row — a line
  15. bore — to drill
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bore — to tire
  18. drill — the tool
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. mark — a trace
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. drill — a practice

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