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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 · trunk · wound · chest · hide · pass · ball · row

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  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 car
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. ball — a great time
  5. pass — a permit
  6. wound — an injury
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. ball — a dance
  11. wound — an injury
  12. row — to paddle
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. chest — a box
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. chest — of your body
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. row — a line
  23. chest — of your body
  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