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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. key — in music
  6. bat — the animal
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. game — wild animals
  15. key — the most important part
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lean — thin
  20. game — a match
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. key — for a lock
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lean — to bend

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