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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: fine · stand · bore · spell · trunk · can · present · chest

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bore — to drill
  3. chest — of your body
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. fine — high quality
  7. present — the time now
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. present — a gift
  10. chest — a box
  11. can — a tin
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. chest — of your body
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. spell — a short time
  17. can — to be able to
  18. stand — to bear
  19. fine — all right
  20. spell — letters
  21. can — a tin
  22. bore — to tire
  23. present — there
  24. spell — magic

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