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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. rash — a series
  6. rest — a break
  7. suit — clothes
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. net — for catching
  11. game — wild animals
  12. suit — in cards
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. rash — hasty
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. net — in sport
  17. suit — to fit
  18. dip — to sink
  19. rest — what's left
  20. rest — what's left
  21. sharp — clever
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. net — after costs
  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