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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 116 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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. chip — to eat
  9. rock — a stone
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fall — the season
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. fall — to drop
  16. band — a music group
  17. march — music
  18. rock — music
  19. band — a ring
  20. chip — for betting
  21. fall — to drop
  22. march — the month
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. trunk — of a tree

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