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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. cold — an illness
  3. cold — not warm
  4. firm — a company
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. firm — steady
  7. suit — in cards
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. suit — clothes
  10. rest — what's left
  11. race — humankind
  12. suit — to fit
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. rest — a break
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. race — the arms race
  18. firm — decided
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. race — a contest
  24. rest — what's left

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