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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — humankind
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. hand — in cards
  11. foot — a measure
  12. fork — in a road
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. hand — help
  20. race — the arms race
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. leaves — of a tree

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