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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. spring — a coil
  6. key — the most important part
  7. mug — to rob
  8. bark — to shout
  9. key — in music
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. suit — clothes
  13. scale — in music
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. scale — size or range
  17. mug — a face
  18. spring — of water
  19. suit — in cards
  20. spring — the season
  21. suit — to fit
  22. mug — a cup
  23. key — for a lock
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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