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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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Word bank
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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: present · suit · mug · trunk · bore · pitcher · cold · key

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. cold — not warm
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bore — to drill
  5. key — in music
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. cold — an illness
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. suit — to fit
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. suit — in cards
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. mug — a cup
  19. present — there
  20. present — the time now
  21. mug — a face
  22. present — a gift
  23. key — the most important part
  24. suit — clothes

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