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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 120 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wound — an injury
  4. spell — letters
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. lean — thin
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. chip — to eat
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. pound — a weight
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. lean — to bend
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. spell — magic
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. chip — for betting
  23. spell — a short time
  24. lean — to rest against

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