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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. spring — the season
  3. chip — for betting
  4. band — a music group
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. track — to keep track
  7. fine — high quality
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. track — a path
  10. track — a song
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. spring — of water
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. band — a ring
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. fine — all right
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. spring — a coil
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. chip — to eat

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