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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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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. staff — employees
  3. staff — employees
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. chest — a box
  10. ground — the earth
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. ground — crushed
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — a permit
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. ground — a position
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. safe — a strongbox

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