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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. kick — in football
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. staff — a stick
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. swing — to play on
  7. ball — a great time
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. swing — in golf
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. chest — of your body
  12. ball — a dance
  13. swing — music
  14. game — wild animals
  15. staff — employees
  16. game — a match
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. prune — to trim
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. chest — a box
  21. chest — of your body
  22. staff — employees
  23. prune — to trim
  24. game — a kind of play

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