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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've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. rush — hurry
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. race — humankind
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. race — a contest
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. race — the arms race

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