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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. season — in sport
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. object — to protest
  7. wound — an injury
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — to eat
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — a thing
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. wound — an injury
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. season — of the year
  21. plane — a tool
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. temple — side of the head

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