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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 tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. mate — to breed
  3. hand — help
  4. mate — a partner
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. hand — in cards
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rash — a series
  10. rock — music
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. season — in sport
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. rock — a stone
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. rash — hasty
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. mate — a friend
  22. season — of the year
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. season — to add flavour

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