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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. ball — a great time
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. land — a country
  6. spell — a short time
  7. land — ground
  8. stock — shares
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. club — a group
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. ball — a dance
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. club — for golf
  16. stock — goods
  17. spell — magic
  18. club — for dancing
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. spell — letters
  24. land — to come down

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