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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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bass — low music
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. foot — a measure
  7. hand — in cards
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. bass — the fish
  11. row — a line
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. charge — in control
  16. charge — a price
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. hand — help
  21. charge — electricity
  22. row — to paddle
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. row — a quarrel

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