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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — thin
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — the time now
  8. present — there
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. bound — obliged
  12. mine — for digging
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. lean — to bend
  18. bound — certain
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. bound — tied together
  22. snap — to click
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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