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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 elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of an elephant
  2. object — a thing
  3. file — a document
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. season — in sport
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. file — a line of people
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. object — an aim
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. season — of the year
  22. file — a tool
  23. object — to protest
  24. arm — a part of something

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