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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. suit — clothes
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. stand — to bear
  5. rock — a stone
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. suit — to fit
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. clip — for paper
  13. suit — in cards
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. clip — a video
  21. clip — to cut
  22. rock — music
  23. can — a tin
  24. bowl — to roll

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