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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. lean — thin
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. chip — to eat
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. spell — magic
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. fork — in a road
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. rest — a break
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. lean — to bend
  14. rush — hurry
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. spell — letters
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. chip — for betting
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. net — after costs
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. spell — a short time
  24. net — for catching

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