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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. face — to confront
  4. drill — a practice
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. drill — the tool
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. drill — army training
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. branch — a division
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. face — part of the head
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. face — to point toward
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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