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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rush — hurry
  5. net — for catching
  6. march — the month
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. march — music
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. rock — music
  12. swing — in golf
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. swing — to play on
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. net — after costs
  19. snap — to click
  20. march — the month
  21. net — in sport
  22. swing — music
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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