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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. race — humankind
  8. chip — to eat
  9. kick — in football
  10. content — the amount
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. rock — a stone
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. content — happy
  16. race — a contest
  17. plane — a tool
  18. rock — music
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. chip — for betting
  24. bowl — a dish

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