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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. ball — a dance
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. pitch — completely
  7. ball — a great time
  8. pit — in a race
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. rock — music
  12. bore — to tire
  13. wound — an injury
  14. pit — a hole
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. wound — an injury
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bore — to drill
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. rock — a stone

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