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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. present — the time now
  5. cap — of ice
  6. present — a gift
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. present — there
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. land — to come down
  13. land — ground
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. land — a country
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. kid — to tease
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. cap — a hat
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. wax — to grow
  23. kid — child
  24. cap — a lid

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