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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. key — in music
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. key — the most important part
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. mark — a grade
  14. deal — to handle
  15. wind — moving air
  16. roll — a cake
  17. roll — a list
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. mark — a trace
  20. foot — a measure
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. key — for a lock
  24. hide — animal skin

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