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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. root — the cause
  6. present — there
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. present — a gift
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bass — the fish
  13. present — the time now
  14. bass — low music
  15. root — of a word
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. sharp — clever
  21. wound — an injury
  22. wound — an injury
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bay — a part 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