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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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Word bank
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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: snap · mug · lean · trunk · present · racket · cap · bat

  1. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. present — a gift
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. present — the time now
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. cap — of ice
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. lean — thin
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bat — the animal
  15. cap — a lid
  16. mug — a face
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. cap — a hat
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. snap — to click
  21. present — there
  22. mug — to rob
  23. lean — to bend
  24. racket — a loud noise

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