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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 120 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: hand · bore · foot · row · deal · trunk · pass · suit

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. bore — to tire
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bore — to drill
  5. row — a line
  6. suit — in cards
  7. hand — help
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. suit — to fit
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. suit — clothes
  12. pass — a permit
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. row — to paddle
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. deal — to handle
  18. hand — in cards
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — a measure
  24. pass — to spend time

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