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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. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. rock — a stone
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bound — certain
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. ground — crushed
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ground — the earth
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bank — for money
  15. rock — music
  16. ground — a position
  17. bound — tied together
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bank — for money
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bore — to drill
  24. rock — to move gently

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