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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. bound — certain
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. swing — in golf
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. bound — tied together
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. pit — in a race
  16. snap — to click
  17. bound — obliged
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. swing — to play on
  23. pit — a hole
  24. swing — music

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