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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. suit — to fit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. present — the time now
  6. sharp — clever
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. mug — a face
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. mug — a cup
  15. rest — a break
  16. suit — in cards
  17. rest — what's left
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. rest — what's left
  20. present — there
  21. mug — to rob
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. suit — clothes

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