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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 bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bound — certain
  5. cell — in biology
  6. row — to paddle
  7. cell — a phone
  8. bound — tied together
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bound — obliged
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. row — a line
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. lie — to recline
  22. wake — a trail
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. trunk — of a tree

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