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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. kid — child
  6. saw — the tool
  7. kid — to tease
  8. spring — a coil
  9. saw — the tool
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. vault — a safe
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. spring — the season
  22. spring — of water
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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