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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. object — an aim
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. content — the amount
  7. pound — a weight
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — in golf
  12. content — happy
  13. rash — a series
  14. object — to protest
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. object — a thing
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. swing — music
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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