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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. tube — a container
  4. object — a thing
  5. file — a document
  6. bear — the animal
  7. file — a line of people
  8. object — to protest
  9. lie — to recline
  10. track — to keep track
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. tube — the underground
  14. object — an aim
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. track — a song
  18. bear — the animal
  19. file — a tool
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. track — a path
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. trunk — of a car

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