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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 116 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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cap — of ice
  4. can — a tin
  5. row — a line
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a dance
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. row — to paddle
  10. wind — moving air
  11. can — a tin
  12. wound — an injury
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. wound — an injury
  18. cap — a lid
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wind — moving air
  22. can — to be able to
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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