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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 120 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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. wind — moving air
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. land — a country
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. rash — hasty
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. pitch — completely
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. wind — moving air
  19. vault — a safe
  20. rash — a series
  21. land — to come down
  22. plane — a tool
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. land — ground

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