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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. tube — the underground
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. vault — a safe
  8. mug — a face
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. tube — a container
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mug — a cup
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — a trail
  16. mug — to rob
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. shower — to wash
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. shower — rain
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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