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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. tube — a container
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. ball — a great time
  7. bound — certain
  8. ball — a dance
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. tube — the underground
  12. pit — in a race
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. bound — obliged
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bound — tied together
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. mate — to breed
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. mate — a partner

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