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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a dance
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. rash — a series
  14. track — a path
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. charge — a price
  17. rash — hasty
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. hand — in cards
  20. charge — in control
  21. charge — electricity
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a song
  24. hand — help

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