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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 116 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. swing — music
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. swing — to play on
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. fine — all right
  10. staff — a stick
  11. staff — employees
  12. swing — in golf
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — temperature
  15. stem — to come from
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. degree — from a university
  18. bank — for money
  19. staff — employees
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. fine — high quality
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bank — for money
  24. bank — of a river

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