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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. pass — a permit
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. mark — a trace
  6. snap — to click
  7. can — a tin
  8. band — a ring
  9. can — to be able to
  10. band — a music group
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. mark — a grade
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. can — a tin
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. kick — in football

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