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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 116 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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. suit — in cards
  5. shower — rain
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. shower — to wash
  9. bore — to drill
  10. bat — the animal
  11. suit — clothes
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. mark — a trace
  14. bore — to tire
  15. wind — moving air
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — to bear
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wind — moving air
  22. mark — a grade
  23. suit — to fit
  24. trunk — of a car

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