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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. squash — the sport
  4. pit — in a race
  5. rock — music
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. pit — a hole
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. wax — to grow
  19. fall — the season
  20. squash — to crush
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rock — a stone
  23. fall — to drop
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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