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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 116 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 the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. fine — high quality
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. pop — soda
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. staff — employees
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. tube — a container
  12. fine — all right
  13. pop — to visit
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. tube — the underground
  16. wound — an injury
  17. staff — a stick
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. staff — employees
  22. pop — music
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fine — a penalty

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