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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. stand — to bear
  3. net — after costs
  4. last — to go on
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. last — finally
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. game — wild animals
  9. last — final
  10. game — a match
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. bear — the animal
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wax — to grow
  18. net — for catching
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. net — in sport

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