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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. saw — the tool
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. foot — a measure
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. fall — to drop
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. fall — the season
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. saw — the tool
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — a division
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. ball — a dance
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. ball — a great time
  24. fall — to drop

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