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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. kick — in football
  3. track — a path
  4. track — a song
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bound — certain
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bound — obliged
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. chair — a leader
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. track — to keep track
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. bound — tied together
  24. cabinet — ministers

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