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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 124 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. race — a contest
  3. prune — to trim
  4. cell — in biology
  5. race — humankind
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. season — of the year
  10. prune — to trim
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. race — the arms race
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. suit — to fit
  15. deal — to handle
  16. suit — clothes
  17. staff — employees
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. cell — a phone
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. suit — in cards
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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