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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. chip — for betting
  7. march — the month
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. march — music
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. chip — to eat
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. march — the month
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. chip — in a computer

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