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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. bank — of a river
  3. can — a tin
  4. lie — to recline
  5. game — a match
  6. court — for sport
  7. scale — size or range
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. can — a tin
  13. court — of a king
  14. can — to be able to
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bank — for money
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. game — wild animals
  19. bank — for money
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. court — of law
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. game — a kind of play

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