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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. swing — in golf
  3. rest — a break
  4. mate — to breed
  5. swing — music
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. swing — to play on
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. mate — a partner
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. kick — in football
  13. rest — what's left
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. wound — an injury
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mate — a friend

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