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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. rest — what's left
  3. band — a music group
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. rest — what's left
  7. band — a ring
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rest — a break
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. pass — a permit
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. fall — the season
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fall — to drop

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