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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. wind — moving air
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. wind — moving air
  10. suit — in cards
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. suit — clothes
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. suit — to fit
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. calf — a young 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