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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 120 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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. clip — to cut
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. tear — from crying
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. bore — to tire
  7. clip — a video
  8. plane — a tool
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. foot — a measure
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bore — to drill
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. tear — to rip
  17. ball — a dance
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. ball — a great time
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. clip — for paper
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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