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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bat — the animal
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. pitch — completely
  8. object — an aim
  9. mug — a face
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. mug — a cup
  12. land — to come down
  13. mug — to rob
  14. land — a country
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. object — a thing
  17. rash — a series
  18. land — ground
  19. rash — hasty
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. object — to protest
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. row — a line

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