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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. can — a tin
  7. race — the arms race
  8. fall — the season
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. can — a tin
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. race — humankind
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. fall — to drop
  18. prune — to trim
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. can — to be able to
  22. race — a contest
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. prune — to trim

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