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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. chip — to eat
  5. swing — music
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. swing — in golf
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. chip — for betting
  11. swing — to play on
  12. can — a tin
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bat — the animal
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — a tool
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. can — a tin
  24. chip — in a computer

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