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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bank — for money
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. cold — an illness
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. band — a music group
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. toast — bread
  11. ground — a position
  12. band — a ring
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bank — for money
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bank — of a river
  17. ground — crushed
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. cold — not warm
  24. ground — the earth

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