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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. kick — in football
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. spring — the season
  7. fall — the season
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. spring — a coil
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. fall — to drop
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. fall — to drop
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. stand — to bear
  22. wind — moving air
  23. plane — a tool
  24. spring — of water

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