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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. net — in sport
  5. pound — a weight
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — rain
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a ring
  17. dip — to sink
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. shower — to wash
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — for catching

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