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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. present — the time now
  6. kid — child
  7. bank — for money
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. bank — of a river
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. kid — to tease
  14. present — there
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. dip — to sink
  17. present — a gift
  18. bank — for money
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. kick — in football
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. pound — a weight

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