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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. spring — the season
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. rest — what's left
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. pound — a weight
  9. rest — what's left
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — a coil
  14. rest — a break
  15. pit — a hole
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. pit — in a race
  19. branch — a division
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. safe — out of danger

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