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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. rock — a stone
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. land — to come down
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. land — ground
  8. cell — a phone
  9. object — a thing
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. squash — to crush
  12. tube — a container
  13. object — to protest
  14. tube — the underground
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. rock — music
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. squash — the sport
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. land — a country
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. object — an aim
  23. cell — in biology
  24. trunk — of a car

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