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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. key — in music
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. chair — a leader
  12. bass — low music
  13. fall — to drop
  14. key — for a lock
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. fall — to drop
  19. key — the most important part
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. pound — a weight
  23. bass — the fish
  24. fork — in a road

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