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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. swing — in golf
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. can — a tin
  6. foot — a measure
  7. swing — music
  8. toast — bread
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. can — a tin
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. drill — the tool
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. drill — army training
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. can — to be able to
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. swing — to play on
  22. tube — the underground
  23. drill — a practice
  24. hide — animal skin

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