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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. foot — a measure
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. can — a tin
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. cap — a hat
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. cap — a lid
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. cap — of ice
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bat — the animal
  21. can — a tin
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. can — to be able to

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