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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. mark — a trace
  8. saw — the tool
  9. clip — for paper
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. mark — a grade
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. clip — to cut
  18. clip — a video
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bass — the fish
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. bass — low music

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