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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. kid — to tease
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. suit — clothes
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. swing — music
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. shower — rain
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. stem — to come from
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. kid — child
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. suit — to fit
  19. swing — to play on
  20. pass — a permit
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. pound — a weight
  23. swing — in golf
  24. stem — a stem cell

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