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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bass — low music
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. bass — the fish
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. sharp — clever
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. saw — the tool
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. ruler — for measuring

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