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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. scale — size or range
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. vault — a safe
  9. spring — the season
  10. rest — a break
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. rest — what's left
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. spring — of water
  16. mine — for digging
  17. spring — a coil
  18. rest — what's left
  19. scale — in music
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. bass — low music
  22. bass — the fish
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. trunk — of a car

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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