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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. ball — a dance
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wound — an injury
  5. tear — from crying
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. tear — to rip
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — for betting
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. pound — a weight
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wound — an injury
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. ball — a great time
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. tear — from crying
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. wave — of the sea

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