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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 116 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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. season — in sport
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. can — a tin
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. pass — a permit
  10. can — to be able to
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. season — of the year
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. can — a tin
  17. lean — to bend
  18. pop — soda
  19. pop — music
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. mine — for digging
  22. pop — to visit
  23. lean — thin
  24. mine — belonging to me

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