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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. can — to be able to
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — a cake
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. plane — a tool
  15. squash — to crush
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. squash — the sport
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. can — a tin
  21. dip — to sink
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. can — a tin
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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