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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. pop — to visit
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. rash — a series
  6. pop — soda
  7. rock — a stone
  8. last — final
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. pop — music
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. mine — for digging
  14. suit — to fit
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. suit — in cards
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. last — to go on
  19. rash — hasty
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. rock — music
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. last — finally
  24. suit — clothes

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