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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. cold — an illness
  10. rock — music
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. chair — a leader
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. kick — in football
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. cold — not warm
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. rock — a stone
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bowl — a football final

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