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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. cold — an illness
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bass — the fish
  15. key — in music
  16. hand — in cards
  17. wake — a trail
  18. key — the most important part
  19. cold — not warm
  20. bass — low music
  21. key — for a lock
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. hand — help

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