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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. chest — a box
  3. lean — to bend
  4. march — the month
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — clever
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. chest — of your body
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. pass — a permit
  17. march — the month
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. march — music
  23. lean — thin
  24. sharp — exactly

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