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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 120 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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. track — a song
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. season — of the year
  10. bass — low music
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — a tool
  13. kick — in football
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. track — to keep track
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. season — in sport

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