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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. rock — music
  4. wound — an injury
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wound — an injury
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. hand — in cards
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. spell — letters
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. rock — a stone
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. can — a tin
  20. spell — magic
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. spell — a short time
  24. safe — out of danger

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