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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 124 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. pop — soda
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pop — music
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. fall — the season
  13. snap — to click
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. lie — to recline
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — to drop
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — a series
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. rash — hasty

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