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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. rest — what's left
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bass — the fish
  5. wound — an injury
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bass — low music
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. drill — army training
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. swing — to play on
  14. drill — the tool
  15. swing — in golf
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. swing — music

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