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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. chair — a leader
  5. present — the time now
  6. net — in sport
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. key — the most important part
  10. lie — to recline
  11. present — there
  12. net — after costs
  13. present — a gift
  14. net — for catching
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. shower — to wash
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. key — for a lock
  20. pound — a weight
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. shower — rain

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