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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. kick — in football
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. spring — the season
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. rash — hasty
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. spring — of water
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. spring — a coil
  21. snap — to click
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. rash — a series

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