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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. track — a path
  5. present — there
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. kid — child
  9. track — a song
  10. vault — a safe
  11. present — the time now
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. wax — to grow
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. track — to keep track
  17. kid — to tease
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. present — a gift
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. pop — to visit
  24. racket — for tennis

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