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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — clothes
  4. band — a ring
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mate — a friend
  8. season — in sport
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. mate — a partner
  11. suit — in cards
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. season — of the year
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. shower — rain
  20. shower — to wash
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. band — a music group
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. mark — a grade

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