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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 116 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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. firm — decided
  5. pass — a permit
  6. firm — steady
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. kid — child
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. field — for sport
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. field — farmland
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. field — a subject
  17. tube — the underground
  18. mug — a cup
  19. mug — to rob
  20. kid — to tease
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — a container
  24. firm — a company

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