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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. mug — a face
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. land — to come down
  7. mug — to rob
  8. land — ground
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. drill — a practice
  14. stock — shares
  15. drill — the tool
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. stock — goods
  18. wound — an injury
  19. drill — army training
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. land — a country
  22. mug — a cup
  23. wound — an injury
  24. coach — a trainer

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