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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. saw — the tool
  4. band — a ring
  5. suit — to fit
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. season — of the year
  11. saw — the tool
  12. key — for a lock
  13. season — in sport
  14. key — the most important part
  15. suit — in cards
  16. shower — rain
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. band — a music group
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. shower — to wash
  21. chair — a leader
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. suit — clothes
  24. key — in music

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