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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 120 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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — to shout
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. snap — to click
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. chest — a box
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. chest — of your body
  18. squash — the sport
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. squash — to crush
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  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