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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wound · club · trunk · track · bay · object · deal · rest

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. rest — what's left
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. wound — an injury
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. wound — an injury
  10. club — for golf
  11. object — to protest
  12. club — a group
  13. object — a thing
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. object — an aim
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. rest — what's left
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. track — a path
  23. club — for dancing
  24. rest — a break

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