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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. saw — the tool
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. mug — a cup
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — size or range
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. pit — a hole
  12. mug — a face
  13. present — a gift
  14. present — there
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. scale — in music
  17. pit — in a race
  18. present — the time now
  19. mug — to rob
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. nail — for a hammer

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