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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. press — newspapers
  7. spell — a short time
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. mark — a trace
  10. mark — a grade
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. press — a publisher
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. press — to push
  15. spell — letters
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. spell — magic
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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