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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. object — to protest
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. hand — help
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. can — a tin
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. scale — size or range
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. can — a tin
  13. object — a thing
  14. pass — a permit
  15. hand — in cards
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. fall — the season
  18. scale — in music
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. object — an aim
  22. can — to be able to
  23. scale — for weighing
  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