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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 116 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. fine — all right
  5. object — to protest
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. object — a thing
  10. ground — the earth
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. cell — in biology
  13. object — an aim
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. fine — high quality
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. deal — to handle
  19. ground — a position
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. cell — a phone
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. fine — a penalty

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