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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 116 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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. prune — to trim
  7. spell — a short time
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. spell — letters
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. spell — magic
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. prune — to trim
  15. kick — in football
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. stand — for spectators

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