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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. pop — music
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. rest — what's left
  6. season — in sport
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. rest — a break
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. wound — an injury
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. wound — an injury
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. pop — soda
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. date — the fruit
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pop — to visit
  22. season — of the year
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. rest — what's left

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