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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 116 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 have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. tube — the underground
  4. mine — for digging
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. present — there
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. present — the time now
  12. spell — magic
  13. tube — a container
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. spell — letters
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. fine — high quality
  18. spell — a short time
  19. present — a gift
  20. fine — all right
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. wave — with your hand

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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