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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 116 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. object — a thing
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. net — in sport
  6. object — to protest
  7. perch — the fish
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. track — a song
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. track — a path
  13. track — to keep track
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. net — after costs
  16. file — a document
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. file — a line of people
  19. object — an aim
  20. net — for catching
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. file — a tool
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. calf — of the leg

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