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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 120 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. staff — employees
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. staff — employees
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. degree — an amount
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. fall — the season
  13. degree — temperature
  14. staff — a stick
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. sharp — clever
  18. degree — from a university
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fall — to drop
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pitcher — a jug

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