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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rest — what's left
  5. mate — a partner
  6. net — after costs
  7. can — a tin
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. object — an aim
  11. net — in sport
  12. object — a thing
  13. hand — in cards
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. object — to protest
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. mate — to breed
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. net — for catching
  22. hand — help
  23. rush — hurry
  24. mate — a friend

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