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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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 dish
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. hand — in cards
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. cell — in biology
  8. suit — clothes
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. wax — to grow
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. hand — help
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. cell — a phone
  21. chair — a leader
  22. plane — a tool
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. wax — for sculpting

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