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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  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. rock — music
  3. object — a thing
  4. dip — to sink
  5. object — to protest
  6. field — for sport
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. net — for catching
  11. object — an aim
  12. staff — employees
  13. net — after costs
  14. shower — to wash
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — a subject
  17. shower — rain
  18. rock — a stone
  19. staff — employees
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. staff — a stick
  23. dip — a sauce
  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