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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. swing — in golf
  4. pass — a permit
  5. swing — music
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. swing — to play on
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mate — a partner
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. mate — a friend
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. mate — to breed
  19. ball — a dance
  20. mine — for digging
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a great time

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