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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. net — for catching
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. kick — in football
  8. net — after costs
  9. bore — to tire
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. pass — a permit
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. kid — child
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. bore — to drill
  18. net — in sport
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. kid — to tease
  21. season — in sport
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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