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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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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: trunk · swing · land · bear · leaves · rush · ground · mark

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. swing — to play on
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. swing — in golf
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. land — to come down
  10. ground — a position
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mark — a grade
  14. ground — crushed
  15. land — a country
  16. land — ground
  17. ground — the earth
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. swing — music
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. rush — hurry
  24. mark — a trace

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