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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  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 tree
  2. sharp — clever
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. scale — in music
  7. net — after costs
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. wind — moving air
  11. can — to be able to
  12. scale — size or range
  13. wind — moving air
  14. saw — the tool
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. net — for catching
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. saw — the tool
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. net — in sport
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. trunk — of a car
  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