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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: saw · roll · chair · trunk · pop · plane · key · bore

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bore — to drill
  4. roll — a cake
  5. key — for a lock
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. pop — soda
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. plane — a tool
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. bore — to tire
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. pop — to visit
  19. saw — the tool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. roll — a list
  22. key — in music
  23. chair — a leader
  24. pop — music

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