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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. rest — what's left
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wound — an injury
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a tool
  9. object — a thing
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. rest — a break
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. object — to protest
  15. file — a document
  16. court — of a king
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. court — of law
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. court — for sport
  21. wound — an injury
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. object — an aim
  24. racket — a loud noise

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