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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. suit — in cards
  3. rest — what's left
  4. cap — of ice
  5. file — a document
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rest — what's left
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. file — a line of people
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. cap — a lid
  15. foot — a measure
  16. rest — a break
  17. cap — a hat
  18. suit — to fit
  19. suit — clothes
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. file — a tool
  23. game — wild animals
  24. trunk — 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