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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. spell — a short time
  3. can — to be able to
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. can — a tin
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. spell — letters
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. season — in sport
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. clip — to cut
  13. can — a tin
  14. clip — for paper
  15. object — a thing
  16. object — to protest
  17. stand — to bear
  18. clip — a video
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. object — an aim
  21. season — of the year
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. spell — magic
  24. straw — a straw man

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