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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. suit — in cards
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. season — in sport
  6. stem — to come from
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bass — the fish
  12. season — of the year
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. suit — clothes
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bass — low music
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. snap — to click

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