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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. dip — to sink
  3. rock — music
  4. swing — music
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. row — to paddle
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. ground — the earth
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. row — a line
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. ground — crushed
  15. swing — to play on
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. ground — a position
  20. sharp — clever
  21. rock — a stone
  22. swing — in golf
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. sharp — with an edge

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