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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. wound — an injury
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rash — hasty
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. land — ground
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rash — a series
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. season — of the year
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. wound — an injury
  22. season — in sport
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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