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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. mark — a grade
  3. staff — employees
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. mark — a trace
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. band — a ring
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fall — to drop
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. staff — employees
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. bark — to shout
  18. staff — a stick
  19. fall — the season
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. band — a music group
  24. fall — to drop

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