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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. prune — to trim
  7. kick — in football
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. lean — thin
  10. rash — a series
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ground — a position
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. rash — hasty
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. prune — to trim
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. lean — to bend
  24. pass — a permit

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