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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. swing — in golf
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. swing — to play on
  5. pop — soda
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. pop — music
  8. chip — to eat
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. lean — thin
  14. club — for golf
  15. club — for dancing
  16. chip — for betting
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. club — a group
  19. swing — music
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stem — to come from
  22. lean — to bend
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. pop — to visit

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