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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. lie — to recline
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. file — a document
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a line of people
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. scale — size or range
  12. row — to paddle
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. rash — hasty
  17. row — a line
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. scale — in music
  21. rash — a series
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. lash — an eyelash
  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