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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. spell — letters
  3. staff — employees
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. spell — magic
  7. staff — employees
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. stock — goods
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. present — a gift
  13. stock — shares
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. drill — army training
  17. staff — a stick
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. drill — a practice
  21. present — there
  22. spell — a short time
  23. drill — the tool
  24. stock — a soup base

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