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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. season — of the year
  3. pit — a hole
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — in a race
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. rest — a break
  10. wind — moving air
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. firm — a company
  14. season — in sport
  15. firm — decided
  16. rest — what's left
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. rest — what's left
  19. wind — moving air
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. firm — steady
  23. can — a tin
  24. season — to add flavour

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