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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — a stone
  3. suit — clothes
  4. rock — music
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. wound — an injury
  7. spring — of water
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. suit — in cards
  11. chair — a leader
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. spell — a short time
  14. spring — the season
  15. spell — letters
  16. spring — a coil
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. wound — an injury
  19. spell — magic
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. kick — in football
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. suit — to fit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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