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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. squash — to crush
  4. file — a line of people
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. file — a document
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. club — for golf
  11. object — an aim
  12. bass — the fish
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. squash — the sport
  16. object — to protest
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for dancing
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. toast — bread
  22. object — a thing
  23. bass — low music
  24. file — a tool

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