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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  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. bear — the animal
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. spring — of water
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bass — low music
  9. spring — a coil
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bark — to shout
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. spring — the season
  18. vault — a safe
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bass — the fish
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. bear — the animal
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  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