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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 124 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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. chest — a box
  7. spell — magic
  8. key — the most important part
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. spell — a short time
  16. key — in music
  17. fall — the season
  18. spell — letters
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. key — for a lock
  22. foot — a measure
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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