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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 120 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. tube — the underground
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — in a race
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. season — in sport
  16. snap — to click
  17. season — of the year
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. tube — a container
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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