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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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. press — a publisher
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. object — to protest
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. press — to push
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. object — a thing
  13. content — happy
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. press — newspapers
  16. object — an aim
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. wax — to grow
  20. content — the amount
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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