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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 124 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. suit — clothes
  3. clip — for paper
  4. suit — to fit
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bark — to shout
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. clip — a video
  10. club — a group
  11. chest — a box
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. band — a ring
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. club — for golf
  18. band — a music group
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. club — for dancing
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. suit — in cards
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — to bear

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