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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. march — music
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. chest — a box
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mark — a grade
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bore — to tire
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. kick — in football
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. march — the month
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. chest — of your body
  19. mark — a trace
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. chip — for betting
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. march — the month

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