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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: firm · leaves · present · cold · mark · mine · trunk · bat

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — a trace
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. mine — for digging
  7. firm — decided
  8. present — a gift
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. present — there
  11. present — the time now
  12. firm — a company
  13. cold — an illness
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. cold — not warm
  19. bat — the animal
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. firm — steady
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — to go away

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