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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: drill · trunk · suit · last · bear · chip · plane · bore

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. last — final
  4. bear — the animal
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. drill — the tool
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. drill — a practice
  9. suit — in cards
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bear — the animal
  14. plane — a tool
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. suit — to fit
  18. drill — army training
  19. chip — for betting
  20. suit — clothes
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bore — to drill
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. bore — to tire

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