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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. march — the month
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bear — the animal
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. march — the month
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. rash — hasty
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. march — music
  18. bear — the animal
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. rash — a series

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