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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. scale — size or range
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. dip — to sink
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. rule — government
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. scale — in music
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. spell — magic
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. spell — a short time
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. spell — letters
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. rule — a law
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. racket — for tennis

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