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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. can — a tin
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. can — to be able to
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stand — to bear
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. kick — in football
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. can — a tin
  24. snap — to click

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