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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. swing — in golf
  5. swing — to play on
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. chest — of your body
  9. suit — clothes
  10. swing — music
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. cell — in biology
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cell — a phone
  16. chest — a box
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. chest — of your body
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — in cards
  24. cabinet — ministers

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