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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. bear — the animal
  5. object — an aim
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. ground — a position
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bass — the fish
  13. race — humankind
  14. ground — crushed
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. object — to protest
  17. ground — the earth
  18. object — a thing
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. race — a contest
  21. bass — low music
  22. race — the arms race
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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