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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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. clip — to cut
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. suit — clothes
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. race — humankind
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. clip — a video
  12. stock — shares
  13. suit — in cards
  14. clip — for paper
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. suit — to fit
  17. fork — in a road
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. stock — goods
  20. race — the arms race
  21. tube — a container
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. tube — the underground

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