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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. mug — to rob
  3. band — a ring
  4. last — finally
  5. last — to go on
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — all right
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. last — final
  11. mug — a cup
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. chest — of your body
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a music group
  20. fine — high quality
  21. mug — a face
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chest — a box

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