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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. track — to keep track
  7. net — for catching
  8. pop — to visit
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. net — after costs
  11. saw — the tool
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. net — in sport
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. track — a song
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — soda
  18. track — a path

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