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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. firm — decided
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. saw — the tool
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. saw — the tool
  12. band — a ring
  13. band — a music group
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — steady
  17. kick — in football
  18. band — a rubber band

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