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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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. 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. can — a tin
  2. last — to go on
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. can — to be able to
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. board — to get on
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. can — a tin
  10. last — finally
  11. spring — a coil
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. kick — in football
  15. spring — of water
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. spring — the season
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. last — final
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. rush — hurry
  23. board — a committee
  24. 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