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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: racket · pop · lie · trunk · land · pass · arm · spring

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. lie — to recline
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pop — to visit
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. land — to come down
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — soda
  15. spring — of water
  16. pass — a permit
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. land — ground
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. land — a country
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — a coil

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