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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. mug — a cup
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mug — to rob
  9. tube — the underground
  10. scale — in music
  11. scale — size or range
  12. mug — a face
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. tube — a container
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. mate — a friend
  20. bore — to tire
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. wind — moving air
  23. bore — to drill
  24. mate — to breed

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