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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. can — a tin
  3. chest — a box
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. last — to go on
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. season — in sport
  8. can — a tin
  9. chest — of your body
  10. last — finally
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. season — of the year
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. last — final
  15. can — to be able to
  16. band — a ring
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. band — a music group
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. chest — of your body
  24. racket — for tennis

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