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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. race — humankind
  4. chip — to eat
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. last — final
  8. race — the arms race
  9. last — to go on
  10. race — a contest
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. chip — for betting
  16. cap — a hat
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. cap — a lid
  20. plane — a tool
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. last — finally
  24. cap — of ice

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