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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. march — music
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. present — the time now
  10. march — the month
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. present — there
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. present — a gift
  18. march — the month

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