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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bound — obliged
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. spring — the season
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. toast — bread
  10. bound — tied together
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. spring — of water
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. spring — a coil
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bound — certain
  22. plane — a tool
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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