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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. suit — to fit
  4. mate — a friend
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. drill — a practice
  7. ground — crushed
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. suit — clothes
  11. present — there
  12. wake — a trail
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. ground — a position
  15. suit — in cards
  16. present — the time now
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. mate — a partner
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. mate — to breed
  21. present — a gift
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. drill — army training
  24. drill — the tool

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