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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. bass — the fish
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. pound — a weight
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bass — low music
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. mine — for digging
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. object — to protest
  24. object — a thing

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