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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're almost out of ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bound — certain
  5. bound — obliged
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. row — a line
  8. pop — to visit
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pop — music
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. row — to paddle
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. bound — tied together
  24. hide — animal skin

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