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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 120 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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a tree
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. mate — a partner
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. mine — for digging
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. swing — to play on
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mate — to breed
  17. wax — to grow
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — to bear
  21. swing — in golf
  22. swing — music
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. mate — a friend

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