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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. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. clip — for paper
  3. suit — clothes
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. suit — in cards
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. suit — to fit
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. hand — in cards
  20. clip — to cut
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. hand — help
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. clip — a video

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