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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. drill — army training
  3. suit — in cards
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. suit — to fit
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. tear — from crying
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. saw — the tool
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. tear — to rip
  17. tear — from crying
  18. drill — the tool
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. suit — clothes
  23. drill — a practice
  24. saw — the tool

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