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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. spell — magic
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. plane — a tool
  7. spell — letters
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. can — a tin
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bark — to shout
  14. ground — crushed
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. spell — a short time
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. stock — goods
  21. ground — a position
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. can — a tin
  24. stock — shares

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