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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. staff — employees
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. staff — a stick
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. staff — employees
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. club — for golf
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — magic
  11. present — a gift
  12. bound — tied together
  13. club — a group
  14. bound — certain
  15. club — for dancing
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. spell — a short time
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. kick — in football
  21. present — there
  22. bound — obliged
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. stem — to come from

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