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

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. scale — size or range
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. scale — in music
  16. bank — for money
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. mine — for digging

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