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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. suit — clothes
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. cell — in biology
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. suit — in cards
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. cold — an illness
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. cell — a phone
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. cold — not warm

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