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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. spring — the season
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — crushed
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. spring — a coil
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. suit — in cards
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. lie — to recline
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. spring — of water
  15. rash — a series
  16. swing — music
  17. suit — clothes
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. rash — hasty
  20. swing — to play on
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. suit — to fit
  23. ground — the earth
  24. swing — in golf

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