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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. suit — clothes
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. chest — of your body
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. chest — of your body
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. ground — a position
  9. snap — to click
  10. suit — to fit
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. suit — in cards
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. tear — to rip
  16. ground — crushed
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. ground — the earth
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. tear — from crying
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. tear — from crying
  24. chest — a box

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