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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wax — to grow
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. clip — to cut
  8. rash — hasty
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. clip — for paper
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. clip — a video
  18. rash — a series
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. vault — a safe

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