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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. I seem to be developing 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. trunk — of a car
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — in cards
  4. bat — the animal
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ball — a great time
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a dance
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. rash — a series
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. rash — hasty
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. rash — on the skin
  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