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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rest — what's left
  4. rest — a break
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cell — in biology
  8. mark — a trace
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. rest — what's left
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. drill — army training
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. stand — to bear
  17. date — the fruit
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. mark — a grade
  20. cell — a phone
  21. drill — the tool
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. drill — a practice

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