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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. file — a document
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. chest — of your body
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chest — a box
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. file — a tool
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. chest — of your body
  15. stand — to bear
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. chair — a leader
  20. pitch — completely
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. file — a line of people
  24. stand — for spectators

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