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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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468
Word bank
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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. spell — letters
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. toast — bread
  6. snap — to click
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. fine — high quality
  10. tear — from crying
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. fine — all right
  16. tear — from crying
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. spell — a short time
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. spell — magic
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. tear — to rip

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