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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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. rest — what's left
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. cell — a phone
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — of a river
  9. rest — a break
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. snap — to click
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cell — in biology
  24. bank — for money

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