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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. track — to keep track
  4. current — electric
  5. mug — a cup
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. mug — a face
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. mug — to rob
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. track — a song
  13. track — a path
  14. mark — a grade
  15. current — happening now
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. mark — a trace
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. current — of water
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. coach — a trainer

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