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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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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bound — certain
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. chair — a leader
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bound — obliged
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. fine — all right
  16. bound — tied together
  17. wake — a trail
  18. trunk — of a car

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