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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. ground — the earth
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. charge — a price
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. squash — the sport
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. squash — to crush
  12. charge — in control
  13. charge — electricity
  14. wind — moving air
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. ground — crushed
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. ground — a position
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bay — a horse colour

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