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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. pit — in a race
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. pit — a hole
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. bat — the animal
  11. can — a tin
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. can — a tin
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. wax — to grow
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — rain
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. can — to be able to
  24. safe — out of danger

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