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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. bat — the animal
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. present — the time now
  10. mine — for digging
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. perch — the fish
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. present — there
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. present — a gift
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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