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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 120 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. snap — to click
  5. file — a line of people
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. fine — all right
  9. file — a document
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. fine — high quality
  12. pass — a permit
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. pop — music
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. file — a tool
  23. pop — to visit
  24. mouse — the animal

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