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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. spell — a short time
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. sharp — clever
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. swing — in golf
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. spell — magic
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. swing — music
  18. swing — to play on
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. rest — a break
  22. spell — letters
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. sharp — with an edge

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