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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. can — a tin
  4. object — an aim
  5. object — a thing
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. saw — the tool
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. object — to protest
  14. can — a tin
  15. saw — the tool
  16. can — to be able to
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. chair — a leader
  21. scale — in music
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — size or range
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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