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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. swing — in golf
  3. march — the month
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — to trim
  7. march — the month
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. swing — to play on
  13. wound — an injury
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. net — after costs
  17. wound — an injury
  18. net — for catching
  19. march — music
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. net — in sport
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. swing — music

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