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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. firm — a company
  3. cap — a hat
  4. march — the month
  5. cap — of ice
  6. march — the month
  7. track — to keep track
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. track — a song
  10. firm — steady
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. cap — a lid
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. firm — decided
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. track — a path
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. march — music
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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