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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. can — a tin
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. rash — a series
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. key — the most important part
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. last — finally
  12. rash — hasty
  13. last — to go on
  14. chair — a leader
  15. last — final
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — to trim
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. key — for a lock
  24. fan — a supporter

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