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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — of ice
  6. saw — the tool
  7. chip — to eat
  8. saw — the tool
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. cap — a hat
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. chip — for betting
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. chest — of your body
  19. chest — a box
  20. wax — to grow
  21. chest — of your body
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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