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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. rest — a break
  9. roll — a list
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. bound — tied together
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rest — what's left
  14. roll — a cake
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. bound — obliged
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bound — certain
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. fall — the season
  24. straw — dry grass

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