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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. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — to tire
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. bass — low music
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. cap — a hat
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bass — the fish
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cap — a lid
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. cap — of ice
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pit — in a race

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